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Katherine Moon
Katherine Isabella Moon
Meow, hello there, my name is Katherine, but you can call me Kat; because I basically am a cat. Anyways, I am a 26-year-old, lifestyle blogger, with an INFP-T personality type, from the United States. I love fashion, the color pink, cats, dogs, and spending all my time on my computer. I'm often seen wearing cat ears headbands.
The Kat Life
The Kat Life

how I'm choosing to live my best life

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

10 Healthy Ways To Release Your Emotions

Feeling your emotions
Photo courtesy of Berzin on Pixabay

There have been many times where I thought that if I just ignored my emotions, they would eventually go away. I believed that if I maintained good habits, avoided bad ones, and kept busy while still focusing on self-care that the issue would resolve itself. I actually thought that it was better to avoid what I was feeling and distract myself. I didn't want to feel as if I was dwelling on it. But the thing is, even if I'm not facing an emotion head-on, it's still there, and it's trapped. So I am dwelling on it. Rather than letting it go, I'm allowing it to stay, and to build up until it reached a point that I can't ignore it anymore, and I snap. Usually, at the worst possible moment, at the smallest thing. It doesn't even have to be related to the initial problem. 

Seriously, there have been times where I'd cry over something as silly as dropping and breaking an inexpensive eyeshadow pallet that I hardly ever use. There have also been times when I'd go on an all caps rage because someone had the volume on the TV just a little too loud. Things that would typically be disappointing and slightly irritating, at most, become enough to send me into a fit of tears or uncontrollable anger. Or both. All because I had pent up emotions over something else that I never allowed myself to feel, and therefore never let go of. And unless I find a healthy way to actually face my emotions, it's bound to happen again. I might not want to face unpleasant thoughts and emotions, but I'm not doing myself any favors by trying to dodge them or push them back. Sometimes self-care means doing what's best for you, even if it's unpleasant. So that being said, allowing yourself to feel and release your emotions in a healthy way is self-care, and there are many ways that you can choose to do so.


Healthy Ways To Release Your Emotions




Let yourself cry


Having a good cry
Photo courtesy of @thiszun on Pexels

Crying is not a sign of weakness. If you feel like crying for any reason, whether because you're sad, frustrated, overwhelmed, angry, grieving, or whatever other reason, then let yourself cry. Seriously, just let the tears and emotions flow, don't try to bottle them up. There is absolutely no reason you should feel ashamed or embarrassed to cry, but if you'd really prefer that other people didn't see you cry, you can always cry in private, either alone or with a trusted friend. A good cry may not make you feel 100% better right away, but at the very least, it's an excellent first step and releases a lot of the emotional burden that you might be carrying.



Talk it out


Two women talking
Photo courtesy of Christina Morillo on Pexels

Even as an introvert, I find that talking about what I'm feeling with a trusted friend is one of the most helpful things I can do when I'm going through a rough patch. Not only does it allow me to verbalize what I'm feeling, but it also allows me to be heard by a kind, and empathetic, listening ear and potentially hear another perspective. The person you choose to talk to can be anyone, as long as you are comfortable with them, whether it's your friend, your partner, your family member, or anyone you trust. If you'd prefer not to share with someone that you know personally, you can opt to chat with a kind stranger on a free anonymous service like 7 Cups Of Tea, which also gives you the option to speak to a certified therapist if you'd like (although this does come at a fee). Speaking of which, there is absolutely no shame in seeking therapy if you feel that it would help you.

If you are in crisis, however, I strongly suggest contacting a crisis chat line first. In the United States, the number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK (8255), you can also text the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or use the online chat. If you live outside of the US, a quick Google search for the crisis numbers and resources in your country should turn up the resources available in your region. 



Write it out


Writing in a journal
Photo courtesy of cottonbro on Pexels

Writing is one of my absolute favorite ways to release my emotions and let my thoughts flow. Not only does it give me an outlet to put what I'm feeling into words, but it also allows me to see it in writing. I absolutely love journaling because it allows me to put into words what I'm feeling, what happened, why I'm feeling that way, as well as anything else that may be on my mind. It also helps me to think of ways that I might be able to solve a problem or start letting go of something that I can not change. Regular journaling also allows me to recognize if there are any patterns or behaviors of my own that may be causing me to feel a certain way, whether positively or negatively.

There are many ways that you can release your emotions through writing. Not only can you journal, but you could also choose to write a story, a poem, or even a letter to the person who has hurt or upset you. You don't have to send this letter, and in most cases, you probably shouldn't. Nor should you spill your raw emotions all over social media, even though I know that I'm guilty of it. Super guilty. Let me be 100% real, sometimes a good rant on social media feels good, but you do need to be careful what you say, and it may be best if you kept the details to DMs with your best friend if you're going to do it on social media. Anyway, as I was saying, writing is a great way to let your emotions out. Especially when done with pen and paper, where you can go completely unfiltered.



Vent your unfiltered thoughts


Woman sticking out her tongue
Photo courtesy of Daria Shevtsova on Pexels

Although it may be better done in private, and not on social media, allowing yourself to go on an unfiltered rant can feel amazing. Just let your unfiltered thoughts flow; profanity included. Write them in your journal, vent to your best friend, rant when you're alone, tell your pet all about it, say exactly how you feel, crack jokes if you'd like. As long as you're in private, you can say pretty much anything you want. If you find that venting and ranting help you relieve stress, go for it. 



Express your emotions in a creative way


Getting creative to release emotions
Photo courtesy of Plush Design Studio on Pexels

There are many ways that we can express ourselves through art and use our creativity to let our emotions out. As I said earlier, you could choose to write out your feeling, and there are many ways to get creative with writing. If you're into music, you could write a song about how you're feeling or what you're going through. If you're into drawing or painting, you could express how you're feeling in one of those ways. Perhaps you're into lettering or typography, and you can create some quotes based on how you're feeling. You can even express yourself in how you choose to dress or do your makeup. The options are endless.



Listen to music that corresponds to how you're feeling


Headphones
Photo courtesy of Dzenina Lukac on Pexels

If you can't seem to find the words to express what you're feeling, try to find a song about it, as music often explains what we have may have a hard time putting into words. There is a song out there for every emotion, and pretty much any situation, for every musical taste. Whether you're a fan of pop, k-pop, hip hop, alternative rock, country, or whatever else, there is a song for you for whatever you're feeling. Allow yourself to feel your emotions as you listen to the words. Sometimes all it takes is the right lyrics to finally allow the tears to fall. Or perhaps your angry, and having something to scream along to will help you let out some rage. No judgment here! Allow the music to allow you to feel what you need to feel and let it help you heal.



Exercise


Working out
Photo courtesy of JESHOOTS.com on Pexels

When I'm angry, stressed, frustrated, or grumpy, exercise just might be one of the best ways to release those emotions. When I'm in a sour mood, I particularly enjoy fast-paced cardio workouts with a lot of punching or kicking movements. Pairing one of these workouts with the right song makes not only for an incredible sweat session but also a magnificent way to release some of those emotions. I actually got the idea of working out when I'm in a pissy mood from playing The Sims 4, as the game encourages you to have your Sim workout to calm themselves down when they are angry, and let me tell you, it actually does help in real life as well. It's actually quite astonishing just how much better I feel after my workout. Although this shouldn't come as a huge surprise as it is well known that exercise naturally releases your body's feel-good endorphins.

If you'd prefer something a little slower paced, yoga is incredible for releasing your emotions and any physical tension you may have in your body, and encourages you to breathe deeply. Honestly, taking a moment to slow it down might be one of the best things that we can do for ourselves sometimes. Especially in a moment of difficulty or frustration.



Release your frustrations through a video game


Gamer girl
Photo courtesy of Nicolas Gras on Unsplash

First thing's first, I can't believe I feel like I have to say this, as it should be common sense, but video games are not real life. Just because I might enjoy wreaking havoc in The Sims, doesn't mean I'd do anything similar in real life. Mkay? Now that we've got that out of the way, not only are video games fun, but they are a great form of stress relief and can allow you to blow off steam without actually hurting anyone or causing any trouble. Like I said before, it's not real life, so you can do pretty much whatever you want in the game, within what's available in your game of choice. 

The game you choose to play is all a matter of preference, but as you may be able to guess, I love The Sims. Believe it or not, there are a ton of ways to blow off steam by playing The Sims. If you play The Sims, you already know, LMAO. It's also a creative outlet as well, and I often enjoy storytelling through the game.



Pray or meditate


Spirituality
Photo courtesy of Eternal Happiness on Pexels

You don't necessarily have to be religious to pray and to hand something off to the universe, or to a higher power, whatever that may mean to you. You don't have to know any specific prayers or know the "right" words to say when you're praying, just say what's on your mind. Ask your higher power, as you understand it, to guide you through and heal you, and have faith that it will. Even if it doesn't get better overnight. If prayer isn't your thing, you can try meditating and using positive mantras and affirmations if you'd like. It is up to you how you choose to go about this, do what works for you. 



Problem solve


Thinking and problem solving
Photo courtesy of Yuri Manei on Pexels

Although I may not always be able to solve the problem at hand, problem-solving allows me to work through my emotions productively. Generally, when I'm problem-solving, I go over what happened, what I'm feeling, why I'm feeling that way, what I might be able to do to resolve it, and what I can do differently in the future. If I can't think of a way that I can fix it, or if there wasn't much I could do differently, or the situation just isn't in my control, I then think of how I can begin to let go, and/or maybe change my perspective on it.



It's only human to have emotions. We all experience sadness, grief, heartbreak, remorse, anger, embarrassment, you name it. We all get stressed out from time to time as well. Whatever you're feeling, allow yourself to feel it. Look for healthy ways to release your emotions, instead of trying to suppress them or turning to unhealthy or harmful coping methods. Allowing yourself to feel, whether what your feeling is positive or negative, is self-care. So don't forget to tune into yourself from time to time.

Do you have any additional ways that you like to release your emotions? If so, I would love to hear about them!  

Healthy Ways To Release Your Emotions
Thank you for reading, and I hope the rest of your day is wonderful!
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2 comments

  1. Good post. These are the things I do to released my emotions (except the video games. Maybe I should try it next time). I usually released my emotions in my writings and artworks.

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    1. Thank you, Fadima! These are truly some great ways to release your emotions. I absolutely love using art and writing to release my emotions. Video games are great though! I've found The Sims to be particularly helpful because of the storytelling element... but you can also blow off steam in the game as well. But like I said, video games are preference. :)

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