In today’s high-speed, high-pressure world, emotions often take a back seat. Yet healthy emotional expression is essential for a balanced nervous system, a clear mind, and a resilient body. Let’s explore why emotional hygiene matters, common ways we suppress feelings, and three telltale signs that you might be numbing out instead of feeling.

Why Emotional Hygiene Matters

Think of emotional hygiene as caring for your feelings the way you care for your body. Just as you practice physical hygiene by brushing your teeth or showering, emotional hygiene involves honoring and processing your emotions in healthy ways rather than suppressing or ignoring them.

By regularly tuning into your emotions, you prevent the buildup of unresolved feelings that lead to stress, anxiety, and burnout. When left unprocessed, emotions don’t simply go away—they often show up as physical symptoms, mood swings, or emotional numbness. Practicing emotional hygiene keeps you resilient, grounded, and in balance.

Make emotional hygiene a part of your daily routine. Just as you brush your teeth, take a few moments each day to check in with how you’re feeling.

How and Why We Suppress Emotions

Many of us grew up learning that expressing emotions was “too much” or something to hide. Over time, we learned to cope by pushing feelings aside. High-achieving women, especially moms, often feel they don’t have “time” for emotions, equating strength with ignoring or minimizing how they feel.

We tend to suppress emotions in several common ways:

• Distraction: Staying busy or escaping into social media, TV, or work to avoid sitting with uncomfortable emotions.
• Minimizing: Dismissing your own feelings with thoughts like, “Others have it worse,” which invalidates your experience.
• Emotional Dismissal: Telling yourself to “snap out of it” or “get over it” when feeling sad, angry, or frustrated blocks the natural emotional process.

While these methods may offer short-term relief, suppressing emotions takes a long-term toll on our well-being. Emotional avoidance may keep you going in the moment, but it drains your energy over time.

The Impact of Suppressed Emotions on Your Body and Mind

When you push emotions down, they don’t just disappear—they get stored in the body. Over time, this leads to chronic tension, headaches, digestive issues, and other physical symptoms. Emotional suppression also keeps your nervous system in a heightened state of alert, creating ongoing stress and dysregulation.

Emotionally, suppressing feelings can drain your energy and leave you in a state of “wired but tired.” Your body constantly uses up energy to keep those emotions at bay, which can lead to burnout and exhaustion. In relationships, unexpressed emotions create distance, making it challenging to connect with others on a deeper level.

Suppressed emotions are like a ticking time bomb, affecting every aspect of your body and mind. By learning to process emotions, you unlock greater peace, energy, and connection.

3 Signs You’re Numbing and Suppressing Emotions

If you’re not sure whether you’re suppressing emotions, here are three signs that you might be numbing out:

1. You Scroll Your Phone Anytime You’re Bored, Alone, or Need Distraction When you feel even a hint of boredom, sadness, or discomfort, you immediately reach for your phone. This automatic reaction serves as an escape from feeling. Your nervous system seeks relief, and scrolling provides a quick distraction and a temporary sense of relief.

2. You Go Straight for Sugary or Salty Foods When Upset Emotional eating is common, especially when stressed or anxious. Foods high in sugar, salt, or unhealthy fats offer a quick dopamine hit, soothing discomfort momentarily. However, this habit often “stuffs down” emotions rather than addressing the root cause, adding an extra layer of suppression.

3. You Tell Yourself to ‘Snap Out of It’ When Feeling Sad or Angry When challenging emotions arise, you might brush them off or tell yourself to “snap out of it.” This inner dismissal signals that emotions are unwelcome, cutting off the chance to process and release them. Societal pressure to be “strong” or “positive” often fuels this tendency to ignore your feelings.

Tips to Build a Healthier Relationship with Your Emotions

1. Build an Emotion Vocabulary: Expand your language for emotions. Use a list of feeling words to identify what you’re feeling. Naming your emotions can make them feel more manageable and helps you validate your experience.

2. Practice Body Awareness: Tune into the physical sensations that accompany emotions. Try a quick body scan to notice areas of tension or discomfort. This practice helps you connect mind and body, allowing emotions to move through you instead of getting stuck.

3. Allow Space for Emotions: Give yourself permission to feel. Sit with your emotions for a few minutes without judgment, allowing them to come and go naturally. Even a few minutes of awareness can help release pent-up feelings.

4. Check In with Support: Sometimes, certain emotions feel too big to handle alone. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or therapist. Verbalizing your emotions out loud can often start the healing process.

You Can Do This

Emotional health is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for a balanced, resilient life. When you commit to honoring your emotions, you’re building a foundation of strength that goes far beyond physical health. Embrace emotional hygiene as an act of self-care, knowing that each step you take toward healthy expression is a gift to yourself and to those around you. Processing emotions may feel challenging at times, but it opens the door to a life filled with peace, connection, and true resilience. Remember, you deserve the same care and compassion you give to others. Embrace this journey with an open heart—you’re creating a life where you can truly thrive.

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