Many people overlook the importance of emotional expression . They ignore their feelings, suppress their emotions, or worse, pretend to feel something they don't. All of this can have detrimental consequences on our health and well-being.
The reasons why our emotions impact our health
Your emotions, often overlooked, play a crucial role in your overall health . When expressed appropriately, they contribute to optimal well-being , better health and an enriched social life.
Our emotions have the role of signaling the state of adequacy between our basic psychological needs and our environment. They alert us when our basic needs are met or frustrated. It is therefore essential to listen to these feelings to be able to understand and respond to our vital needs, whether they are conscious or not.
Emotions can be valuable because they provide a source of information about our subjective evaluation of a situation, how we respond to specific circumstances, and the strategies we use to manage our emotions. Understanding our emotions is not an easy task; it requires an open mind to view these emotions as useful messengers.
Expressing emotions, on the other hand, has a profound effect on our relationships. By adequately expressing our positive and negative emotions, we reinforce relational behaviors that promote healthy relationships and deter destructive behaviors. Our emotions can help us delineate the trigger of the emotion (the event or situation) and the inner causes of the emotion (our needs and our subjective evaluation of the situation).
The different forms of emotional expression to choose the one that suits you
At the heart of emotional expression, it is essential to keep in mind the idea of emotional flexibility . This ability constitutes the second major emotional skill, closely linked to the first skill which is that of identifying emotions. Mastering these two skills allows you to express your emotions in a way adapted to the context and your objectives, as well as to facilitate the expression of the emotions of your interlocutors.
It is important to understand that the expression of emotions does not follow a univocal rule. In reality, it depends mainly on the context. In some situations, expression is beneficial because it reinforces relational behaviors that facilitate the relationship while in others, expression might encourage negative behaviors.
According to Porter, there are six ways to respond to emotions . It offers the following solutions: propose solutions, judge, interpret, console, investigate and understand. All these different approaches clearly demonstrate that there is no single “right” way to express or manage your emotions. It will be up to you to choose the method that best suits you based on your character, your situation and your objectives.
How to cultivate emotional expression every day
Just as it is important to cultivate one's intellect and physique for a healthy and balanced life , it is just as essential to cultivate emotional expression on a daily basis. This skill provides significant benefits for our mental, physical and social health.
The first step to achieving this is realizing the importance of expressing your emotions. Know that your emotions are natural and that it is beneficial to express them in an appropriate context. This doesn't mean that you should always express all your emotions, but rather that you should develop the emotional flexibility to know when to express them and when to keep them to yourself.
The second step is to hone your skills in exchanging emotions with others. This can enrich your experiences and give you new perspectives on your feelings and thoughts. It can also help you reinforce positive relationship behaviors and discourage negative ones.
Third , remember the importance of expressing positive emotions such as gratitude. Expressing these emotions has a positive impact not only on you, but also on the people you interact with.
