Permission to feel

Feelings can get a bad rep. And yet here we are, feeling them all day long. Yes happiness, excitement and joy tend to get the okay, but there are plenty more that might get labelled as ‘bad’ or ‘negative’ emotions.

But have you ever thought about the power of feeling our feelings - ALL of our feelings? They’re our internal barometer, our way of knowing what we need and they’re there to help us better understand ourselves and what matters to us.

Overwhelmed? Maybe we need to slow down or ask for help. Angry? Maybe something is wrong, our values are not being met so we need to speak up, or we need to protect ourselves or another. Sad? Perhaps we’ve lost something or someone, been let down or we’re experiencing pain, and that sadness is part of how we heal and process what has happened. Our feelings are there to be listened to.

Just as you can’t ignore the warning lights on your car’s dashboard forever, we can’t shut down our feelings or push them away, no matter how hard we might try. So instead, maybe we could listen to them, really listen to what our body is telling us, and become more conscious of our feelings. When we do that, maybe then we can start to better understand ourselves and honour our needs.

Therapy can provide the space and time to listen to yourself and your feelings, in a safe and confidential space, free from judgement.

The Feeling Wheel. Source: https://www.calm.com/blog/the-feelings-wheel Credit Dr Gloria Willcox