I feel happy.

I feel sad.

I feel anxious.

I feel angry.

I feel disrespected.

I feel empowered.

Do you feel any of these things right now? If so, remember your feelings are valid and that they matter. The tricky thing with emotions is that sometimes we don’t understand the onset of them. Does our partner really disrespect us or do we associate certain actions from our past with disrespect that they are unaware of? It can be helpful to familiarize ourselves with our range of emotions and what each look like because it differs from person to person.

Anger can be annoyed, mad, irritated, frustrated, etc. which can bring on aggression, arguing, raising voice, trembling, insulting language, increased heart rate, feeling hot, or fist clenching.

Anxiety can be fearful, nervous, scared, timid, worried, uneasy, stressed, etc. which can bring on muscle tension, irritability, crying, avoidance, difficulty concentrating, sweating or trembling.

Happiness can be cheerful, excitement, glad, joyful, pleased, satisfaction, etc. which can bring on self-care engagement, laughing, optimism, playfulness, social engagement, helpfulness.

Sadness can be depressed, lonely, shameful, down, empty, grief, guilt, disappoint, etc. which can bring on negative thoughts, fatigue, inactivity, helplessness, insomnia, isolation, crying.

The list goes on, as does the way we react. Write a list of the feelings you know of. After that, write down what makes you feel that way or the last time you felt that emotion. What people don’t realize is all emotions are important to a healthy lifestyle and mindset. The more we avoid “negative” emotions, the worse we feel.

Another way to help you understand your emotions and improve the way in which they affect us is doing what I call mental check-ins. Be intentional about checking in on yourself the way you would someone else. Ask “how am I feeling right now”. Answer the question in an “I” statement. I feel exhausted. If this is a feeling you’re uncomfortable with, come up with a solution for now or later that way you’re still acknowledging the feeling.

If you are struggling with the way in which you process, understand or cope with your emotions connect with a counselor in Orlando Thrive Therapy today. To speak specifically with the Orlando counselor who wrote this article contact Mallory Hawkes at Mallory.orlandothrivetherapy@gmail.com. Thrive on!