I want to start by saying: all emotions are good emotions.
Yes, some are more uncomfortable to experience versus others- but each emotion offers us valuable information about how we are responding to our experiences.
It's okay to feel your feelings-all of
I want to start by saying: all emotions are good emotions.
Yes, some are more uncomfortable to experience versus others- but each emotion offers us valuable information about how we are responding to our experiences.
It's okay to feel your feelings-all of them.
Anger can be a window into our more vulnerable feelings.
Anger often is referred to like an iceberg: On the surface of the water we are able to see anger clearly. Because what we see is so large and massive- we often forget or can't imagine that there could be more! If we look beneath the surface, we can see just how much of that iceberg has been hidden or unaware to us.
If we stop at anger, and don't explore what is beneath it- we can miss so many other emotions such as sadness, hurt, shame, guilt, etc. that may be co-occurring.
If we allow ourselves to get curious about anger, it can propel us into identifying and healing deeper wounds.
Examples of how anger represents other emotions:
Sadness leaves you feeling vulnerable. When you are angry you feel invincible-like there is nothing that can hurt you.
If we don't feel safe being vulnerable, we lean on the expression of anger to restore a feeling of control.
Anger can also be helpful in asserting our boundaries. We may need to be assertive with people who are violating our rights or treating us poorly. In these situations, anger can help us stand up for ourselves.
According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, shame is defined as: "a painful emotion caused by consciousness of guilt, shortcoming, or impropriety". When we feel shame-we tend to react defensively. The expression of anger can shift attention from experiencing the discomfort that comes with feeling shame.
Anger alerts us to potential or actual harm. It mobilizes us to take action to defend ourselves or others. It energizes us to do something about whatever appears wrong. When we feel scared often times our nervous system responds by shifting into: fight, flight or freeze. If we are unable to return to our window of tolerance- we may express fear through maladaptive and maybe even aggressive tendencies.
Anxiety is a result of overstimulation from a stressful environment or imagined threat paired with the perceived inability t