As a therapist, one of the most common things I hear from clients is the desire to avoid their emotions. It’s a natural impulse—emotions can feel overwhelming, and at times, even painful. However, one thing I’ve learned from years of working with individuals on their emotional healing journey is this: Avoiding emotions only makes them stronger.

I’ve seen it time and again—people pushing down their feelings of anger, sadness, fear, or anxiety in hopes that they’ll just disappear. It might feel easier in the moment to bury these emotions, but the truth is, they don’t vanish. Instead, they tend to fester, growing in intensity, and often showing up at the least convenient time. This process is known as emotional suppression, and it can have a serious impact on both our mental and physical health.

In this post, I’m going to share why emotional suppression doesn’t work, and how you can begin to break free from it to truly feel your feelings—without being overwhelmed by them.

What Is Emotional Suppression?

Emotional suppression is when we consciously or unconsciously avoid or deny our feelings. You might push down sadness because it feels too heavy, or push away anger because it feels “unacceptable.” Maybe you’ve been taught that it’s better to keep a “stiff upper lip” and “stay strong” no matter what. This kind of emotional avoidance often becomes a defense mechanism that helps us feel more in control, but in reality, it’s just a temporary fix.

The thing about emotional suppression is that it doesn’t make the emotions go away—it just tucks them away in the dark, where they’re harder to process. So, while you might feel “fine” for a while, eventually those suppressed emotions will demand your attention, often in a much more intense way.

The Problem with Suppressing Your Emotions

You might think that by pushing down emotions like sadness, anger, or frustration, you’re avoiding unnecessary pain. But in fact, avoiding your emotions can create even bigger problems down the road.

Emotions Don’t Disappear—They Get Stronger

Imagine trying to hold a beach ball underwater. It may seem easy at first, but the longer you hold it down, the more pressure builds up. Eventually, that ball will shoot to the surface with a burst of force. The same is true for your emotions. Suppressing them doesn’t make them go away; it just builds up pressure. One day, that pressure will find its way out—often in a way that feels uncontrollable, like an emotional outburst or a panic attack.

2. Physical Consequences of Suppression

When we suppress our emotions, they don’t just stay in our heads—they often manifest physically. Research has shown that unprocessed emotions can contribute to tension in the body, headaches, digestive issues, and even chronic conditions like high blood pressure or heart disease. The mind and body are interconnected, so when emotions are left unresolved, they can take a toll on your physical health.

3. Emotional Suppression and Mental Health

Ignoring or suppressing your feelings might offer temporary relief, but it can eventually contribute to mental health struggles. People who suppress their emotions are more likely to experience anxiety, depression, or emotional numbness. Over time, this disconnect from your emotional experience can lead to feelings of emptiness, loneliness, or frustration. Without space to process emotions, it becomes harder to experience joy and fulfillment in life.

4. Disconnection from Others

As a therapist, one of the things I see most often is how emotional suppression creates a sense of isolation. When you avoid expressing your emotions, it’s harder to connect with others in a meaningful way. Emotional expression is essential to healthy relationships, whether it’s with a partner, family member, or friend. If you’re bottling up your feelings, it can be hard to be vulnerable and connect authentically with those around you.

5. Increased Shame and Self-Criticism

Suppressing your emotions often leads to shame. If you’ve been taught that it’s “weak” or “wrong” to express certain feelings, you may start to feel like there’s something wrong with you for having those emotions in the first place. This self-criticism can deepen your emotional distress and make it even harder to face your feelings head-on.

Why You Need to Feel Your Feelings

As a therapist, I encourage my clients to embrace their emotions—not as something to fear or avoid, but as a vital part of the human experience. Here’s why it’s so important to feel your feelings:

Emotions Are Messengers

Every emotion, whether it’s sadness, anger, or joy, is telling you something important about yourself. Emotions are like messengers that bring valuable information about your needs, desires, and boundaries. For example:

Sadness can indicate that something important has been lost or that you need emotional support.
Fear might point to a real or perceived threat, helping you protect yourself.
Anger often signals that your boundaries have been crossed, and it’s time to assert yourself.

When you allow yourself to feel these emotions, you’re listening to the messages they bring. This kind of emotional awareness can help you respond more authentically to what’s going on in your life.

2. Emotions Are Temporary

One of the most powerful things I share with my clients is that emotions are temporary. They rise, peak, and then fade away—just like waves in the ocean. But if you suppress your emotions, you don’t allow them the chance to move through you. Instead, they build up and remain trapped, making them feel much more overwhelming.

When you feel your emotions fully and give them space to move, they lose their intensity. And just like that, they dissipate, leaving you with a sense of clarity and release.

3. Emotional Awareness Builds Resilience

Feeling your feelings is a skill. It’s not about becoming overwhelmed by every emotion you experience, but rather about building the emotional resilience to sit with difficult feelings without being consumed by them. Over time, as you allow yourself to process your emotions, you develop a greater sense of emotional strength, which makes you more capable of navigating life’s challenges.

4. Healing Happens When You Process, Not Suppress

In therapy, I work with clients to process their emotions in a healthy, productive way. This is where true healing happens. When you give yourself permission to feel your feelings—without judgment or suppression—you allow yourself the space to heal. Healing doesn’t happen when emotions are ignored. It happens when they are felt, expressed, and released.

5. You Can Feel and Let Go

Feeling your emotions doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck in them forever. In fact, the more you allow yourself to experience your feelings, the quicker they can move through you. Emotions, like all experiences, are fluid—they don’t last forever. And once you’ve processed them, you can let them go, freeing yourself from their grip.

How to Start Feeling Your Feelings

If you’ve been suppressing your emotions for a while, it can feel overwhelming to begin allowing yourself to feel them. But I promise you, it’s a powerful practice that can transform your emotional well-being. Here are some tips to get started:

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your emotions in the present moment. Simple practices like deep breathing, body scans, or observing your emotions without judgment can help you connect to what you’re feeling.

2. Create Emotional Safety

Feeling your emotions takes courage, and it’s important to do so in a safe, supportive environment. Whether you’re journaling, speaking to a trusted friend, or working with a therapist, make sure you have a space where you feel emotionally safe.

3. Label Your Emotions

Naming your emotions helps to give them power in a positive way. When you can identify what you’re feeling—whether it’s anger, sadness, or frustration—you can begin to understand why you’re feeling that way and how to address it.

4. Express Your Feelings Creatively

If words feel difficult, try expressing your emotions in a different way. Journaling, painting, dancing, or creating music can help you release and process what you’re experiencing.

5. Seek Support

If you’re struggling to process certain emotions, seeking support from a therapist can make a world of difference. Therapy provides a safe space to explore and work through difficult emotions with the guidance of a professional.

Check out our other blog post with more in-depth strategies: Click Here

Journaling Prompts Exercise - Take a moment to consider the following questions and reflect:

How am I feeling right now?
Take a moment to check in with yourself. What emotions are you noticing? Don’t worry about labeling them perfectly—just jot down whatever comes up, even if it’s just “okay” or “nothing.”
Where do I feel this emotion in my body?
Pay attention to any sensations you might be feeling—tightness in your chest, butterflies in your stomach, or a heaviness in your shoulders. Write about where you feel it, and how it feels.
What do I need right now to feel better?
Think about what might help you feel a little more at ease. Is it rest, a kind word, or maybe a bit of alone time? Write about what you think could help you feel a bit better in the moment.

Where To Go From Here

As a therapist, my job is to help you navigate your emotional landscape with kindness and compassion. If you’ve been avoiding your emotions, I want to encourage you to stop running from them. Feeling your feelings is the first step in healing, growing, and truly living an authentic life.

If you’re struggling with emotional suppression or simply need support in processing your feelings, I’d love to work with you. At Me Again Collective, we specialize in helping individuals like you break free from emotional blocks and build resilience, healing, and connection.

You don’t have to navigate this journey alone. Together, we can start the process of healing through emotional awareness and support.

Grab your FREE 15-minute consultation with us today.