Owning Your Emotions: How to Master Your Feelings
Do you find yourself making excuses when someone points something out, feeling crushed or fuming with anger? Do you shift the blame onto someone or something that threw you off balance, sparked your rage, or hit a raw nerve? If so, it might be time to take the reins of your emotions.
Taking responsibility for your feelings doesn’t mean shutting them off. We don’t get to pick and choose what we feel—emotions roll in like a chill or a fever, unbidden and undeniable.
Rather, owning your emotions means welcoming them without pushing them away or burying them deep. It’s about recognizing them and steering how you respond to the world around you. We can’t control what stirs inside us, but we can always decide how to handle it.
The Pitfalls of Suppressing or Masking Emotions
Sadly, buried emotions don’t vanish—they linger quietly, gnawing at you from within. Stifled feelings can ripple outward into physical woes: hormonal imbalances, autoimmune flare-ups, and more. Emotions set off a cascade of bodily reactions—think hormone surges, racing pulses, tensed muscles, or stalled digestion.
Swapping one emotion for another or bottling them up altogether can also sow confusion and mistrust in relationships. When you can’t express what you feel, it risks breeding loneliness, disillusionment, and even depression.
What Can You Do?
Acknowledge Your Emotions
Don’t shy away from feeling. Emotions are woven into the fabric of life—you’re entitled to them.
Name the Feeling
Put a label on what’s stirring inside: “I’m angry,” “I’m scared,” “I’m ashamed.” Build a vocabulary for your emotional landscape.
Tune Into Your Body
Pay close attention to how your body signals emotion. Those physical cues—like a tight chest or a racing heart—can clue you into your inner state.
Trace the Source
Dig into when and why this feeling flared up. Reflect on the outer triggers and inner currents that set it off. What tipped you over the edge? What were you longing for or chasing in that moment?
Untangle the Layers
Separate the raw, initial emotion from the ones that pile on later through overthinking or self-scrutiny. Peel back to the root of what you truly feel.
As you start to grasp the nature of your reactions—how they spark and swell—you’ll find it easier to navigate life’s rough patches. You’ll sidestep the fallout, gradually shaping a steadier emotional world.
If your efforts falter, don’t throw in the towel. Reach out to a professional—therapy can work wonders with proven results.
