The Power of Understanding Your Emotions
- Deborah Marks
- Sep 5
- 3 min read
A Path to Resilience and Calm
Many people move through their day without pausing to notice how they truly feel. Between work, family, and constant distractions, emotions can get buried or brushed aside. Yet emotions are powerful signals. They tell us what we need, guide our decisions, and shape our relationships.
Learning to identify, understand, and connect with your emotions is a cornerstone of good mental health. It helps you respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively, improves communication, and fosters resilience when life feels overwhelming.
They tell us what we need, guide our decisions, and shape our relationships.
Why Emotions Matter
Emotions aren’t just “feelings.” They are physiological and psychological responses that give us important information about our environment and ourselves. For example:
When we ignore or suppress emotions, they often resurface in unhelpful ways, such as stress, tension, or conflict.
Step 1: Notice the Signs in Your Body
Emotions are experienced not only in the mind but also in the body. By tuning in physically, you can start to recognise emotional states:
A racing heart or tight chest may signal anxiety.
A heavy feeling in the shoulders could reflect sadness.
A rush of heat or tension in the jaw might point to anger.
Practising mindfulness, body scans, or simply pausing to breathe deeply can help you notice these signals more clearly.
Step 2: Name the Emotion
Putting words to what you feel is a powerful step. Instead of saying “I feel bad,” try to be specific: are you feeling frustrated, disappointed, or lonely? Expanding your emotional vocabulary helps you gain clarity and reduces the overwhelm of “big feelings.”
You might try keeping an emotion journal or using tools like an emotions wheel to refine your self-awareness.
Step 3: Understand the Why
Once you’ve identified an emotion, ask yourself: What triggered this? Sometimes it’s obvious, such as an argument or a stressful deadline. Other times it’s more subtle, like an unmet need for rest, connection, or safety.
Understanding the “why” behind your emotions allows you to address the root cause rather than only managing the surface reaction.
Step 4: Respond With Compassion
Instead of judging yourself for how you feel, try responding with kindness. Emotions aren’t good or bad; they are simply information. When you validate your feelings instead of suppressing them, you build emotional safety and resilience.
This might mean setting a boundary, asking for help, or giving yourself permission to rest.
Step 5: Seek Support if Needed
For some, connecting with emotions can feel overwhelming, especially if past trauma or difficult experiences are involved. In these cases, working with a therapist can provide guidance and safety. Therapy offers tools such as mindfulness, EMDR, and cognitive strategies to help you process and regulate emotions effectively.
Final Thoughts
Getting in touch with your emotions is not about controlling or eliminating them. It’s about listening to them, understanding what they are telling you, and responding in ways that support your wellbeing. With practice, you can move from being swept away by your feelings to navigating them with clarity and compassion.
If you’re on the Gold Coast and would like support in understanding and working with your emotions, I invite you to reach out. Together, we can create space for healing and resilience.
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