Affirming Emotional Experience

I invite you to attune your awareness to those moments when you censor or hold back your emotional experience. 

If you can catch yourself making an excuse or concession, can you just pause and ask yourself "why?" "what's under my reaction?" "what am I hoping to avoid and what am I hoping to gain?" 

You can also do this as a writing practice, which will help your ability to focus in on & "catch" moments when you're self censoring or diminishing your feelings.

If you feel called to, you can use these as prompts!

What emotions do I least like to admit to?

What emotions do I believe are unacceptable to show in public/personal relationships?

What emotions do I feel embarrassed to witness in others?

What emotions have been taught to me to be "bad"?

In what ways do I limit my emotional experience?

What does [emotion] mean about me? (eg. if I'm feeling sad it means there's something wrong with me)

Then you can practice affirming these emotions.

You can use the phrasing, "I see that I am embarrassed to witness anger. I see that I was taught to not show anger. I see that I feel shame when expressing disappointment with my partner."

Or whatever feels right and natural to you to bear witness without judgment.

Finally, end with simple affirmations that resonate truthfully to you.

It is healthy to feel my emotions.

Feeling my emotions allows me to process them.

Feeling my emotions offers a richer life experience.

Feeling my emotions makes them less scary.

etc.

This practice takes courage and can be uncomfortable. It can also be liberating and cathartic. It can be all of the things at the same time. Notice how you're feeling after and give yourself some time for self-care if you need it. A soothing meditation, a walk outside, a warm bath.