Comet Nwosu: Low-Cost Ways to Rid Yourself of Emotional Burdens

Emotions are what make us humans. If it were not for our emotions, we would be equivalent to plastics. Thankfully, we can feel and be felt. But emotions are equally essentialities that make us complex human beings. A simple thing can get misconstrued because of emotional involvement. As such, it can appear more like a burden to have emotions or be emotional, as the case may be, but seeing that this is an innate part of our being, rather than abolish them or be in denial about it, we have to find ways to come to terms with that part of us. And deal with their cons.

Before talking about how to deal with our emotions for our good, let’s look at some of the ways emotions tend to sway us:

Emotions make things complex

It’s common knowledge (and psychologists always refer) that not trusting our emotions on a whim will better help us see things for what they are. This, in turn, will diminish their complexities.

Emotions are mysterious

If you’re yet to get to know yourself well, it can be a pain to ascertain how you feel as and when due. This mystery springs up always in the form of an emotion that often goes unclassified. Demystifying this, therefore, requires a strong sense of self or self-awareness, which isn’t always so straightforward.

Emotions appear harmful

Emotions and being emotional can be burdensome. Similar to the first point above, they can appear harmful due to their complex nature. But if you’re in tune with what emotions are all about, you’d embrace them better with the belief that they’re only signals pointing toward an omen than leaving you in perils.

Now, let’s discuss some remedies or therapies for dealing with emotional difficulties or burdens.

Setting boundaries

Setting boundaries serve as emotional therapy because it allows us to know what our limits are and not exceed them so we don’t get completely flustered and depleted of our good emotional energy.

I like to see setting boundaries as one of the most childlike behaviour to readopt as adults. It is simply creating rules-turned-principles and values that protect your person. It’s commonly stating what you don’t like, not condoning them, and reinforcing them.

As a child, if you don’t like a thing, you don’t pretend you do, you simply call it out. Whereas when you do, you smile and welcome the idea. Setting boundaries is similar to that, except with more assertiveness and politeness. Practice saying no, saying yes also, stating and sticking with your priorities, and so on.

Reinforcing the boundaries

We often think it all ends with setting our boundaries. But what if I told you that reinforcing one’s boundaries is the most therapeutic way of conserving their emotional energy? Its ripple effects are overwhelmingly positive. In that, by reinforcing your boundaries, you exhibit discipline, courage, a strong sense of self, and well-balanced emotional life. It is the hardest thing to do but well worth it. You just have to think about what matters most to you and continue showing up for yourself, using those values as your backup.

Reflectiveness

Reflection is another form of emotional therapy as it gives us room to ponder on the type of emotions we tend to exhibit from time to time. Reflection gives us room to analyze if we’re truly emotional beings and how that may be either stomping or enhancing our growth. It is what permits us to think things through as they occur (known as real-time reflection) or in the aftermath of things.

Reflection is different from just thinking or overthinking even. It is the ability to converse with yourself without pressure to come up with immediate results or conclusions. It is an efficient tool for emotional relief.

Aloneness

Many people now are beginning to understand the efficacy of spending alone time. This is because spending time with ourselves not only allows us to understand ourselves and our emotions better but creates an avenue to avoid unnecessary emotional fluctuations inflicted by other people. Being present and enjoying our moment is one of the best ways to remedy our emotional conflicts or difficulties. It keeps us out of trouble in every sense.

Meditation

Calmness, serenity, and meditation go hand-in-hand when it comes to emotional therapy. It is the state of zen that allows you not to necessarily think or indulge in the thoughts that flood your mind. Just being in that mental clean state further clears that of your emotional state. These are some of the states of being or practices that can enhance your emotional well-being.

Doing things you love

My mother once told me: once it looks like you’re emotional derailing, hook up unto something that excites you. I used to think it was escapism in a negative light, but I was wrong. It’s okay to postpone or counteract negative feelings or emotions by doing the things you love.

I enjoy randomly reading anything, but when I’m emotionally distressed, I pick specific articles to read that might either validate or alleviate my feelings. Sometimes I go on Quora when I’m down, and encounter random topics that speak to me about my situation. Other times, I disconnect (connectively) by indulging in entertaining platforms like Netflix. During most of these downtimes, I normally come up with topics to write on and actively write. And then my spirit is elated.

There you have it; some of the low-cost ways to rid yourself of emotional burdens when they arise. Emotions define us as humans but we must never forget we are in charge. The ability to regulate our emotions is mainly our responsibility, even though that tends to get marred by the type of upbringing we had. But we must find a way to look after the emotional aspects of our being because not so doing can gravely affect our way of being.