Category: Emotions

EMOTIONS – Why they are important

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IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION
 
Emotions serve many purposes and communicate many things which are important for us to know, learn from. They are specific reactions to a particular event.  It can therefore be very useful to be aware and informed by our emotions rather than trying to ignore, deny, or push them away somewhere.
 
 
HOW THEY INFORM AND SUPPORT US 
 
Some of the useful things emotions inform and support us with are: 
 
  • protection, self care and boundaries
  • knowing what is okay  and not okay for us,
  • gaining support, comfort and understanding needed
  • getting our needs met
  • changing our behaviour
  • processing  experiences, and difficult life events
  • releasing tension and stress
  • experiences of  loss and grief

DIFFICULTIES WITH EMOTIONS 

Sometimes emotions can be quite uncomfortable, distressing and confusing to tolerate especially if we don’t understand them, or have not learnt how to know them, accept them,  or manage them.   Denying, ignoring or distracting ourselves from feelings may be helpful in the short term, however, sometimes this can also cause longer term problems when feelings still manage to find their own way to express themselves.  This delayed expression can happen, days, months or years away, and therefore can be difficult to understand when it is experienced separately from the original event.  This can look like difficulties such as: anger management, anxiety, depression, tearful upsets, erratic moods, addictive behaviour and self harming etc which are common aspects of work within Counselling and Psychotherapy.

CRYING: Whats the point ?

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HEALTHY FUNCTION

Sometimes in life, and counselling, people can struggle with the need to cry, dismissing it as pointless, weak, or negative in some way.   Crying like all our emotions, serves a necessary purpose, to support us in our life experiences, and our well being.  

 

IMPORTANT AND BENEFICIAL

There are many reasons, why crying is important; relating to physical, emotional and psychological well being as follows:

  • A normal and natural response to grief, loss, distress, overwhelm, injury, hurt, fear and vulnerability
  • Indicates a need for attention, acknowledgement, care, understanding, support and comfort
  • Often there is a need is to cry with someone rather than be alone. Crying is visual for a reason, we have a need to be seen and connected with another which can also help keep our thinking rational.
  • A release mechanism from feelings and tension, crying has a natural rhythm, allowing ourselves to cry as needed helps finish the process.
  • Helps adjustment to change and adaption to loss
  • Essential in healing, if we interrupt crying this can interrupt healing.
  • If the upset feels disproportionate to the event, this can indicate unresolved/unprocessed past hurts, and loss etc.  See > inner child
  • Trust it is okay to cry… if not, how come? how have you learnt differently?
  • Noticing sadness without tears is just as important as crying.