People can hide feelings for fear of being judged or to avoid showing vulnerability which they perceive as a weakness.
Masking emotions can have a significant impact on our health by creating symptoms such as anxiety and depression. It can also cause physical problems like heart disease, intestinal problems, headaches, insomnia and auto-immune disorders.
You may have learned in childhood to hide your emotions for a number of reasons such as fear, doubt, or to keep yourself safe but how is this serving you now? Masking our true feelings can isolate us, push people away and leave us feeling inadequate. My clients tend to avoid conflicting emotions or painful conversations in their lives just as most of us do, because that's how we were taught.
When we allow ourselves to feel and validate our emotions we can allow ourselves to heal. Feelings and emotions are natural, they do not need to be hidden or masked.
- Journal your feelings - this brings clarity
- Listen to the feelings behind the words - what's really going on below the surface?
- Share your feelings honestly with someone you trust
