Understanding and navigating our emotions can indeed be a daunting task, and it's not uncommon for individuals to resort to distraction and avoidance as coping mechanisms. Acknowledging and allowing yourself to feel emotions, even the challenging ones, is an essential aspect of the therapeutic process. Emotions act as valuable messengers, providing insights into our thoughts, behaviours, and underlying concerns. By sitting with your feelings, you create an opportunity to explore the roots of your emotions, understand patterns of response, and cultivate a healthier relationship with your internal experiences.
To add a visual, imagine your feelings are like puzzle pieces of your mind. When a therapist says to "sit in your feelings," it's like encouraging you to take a good look at those puzzle pieces, even if they might be a bit uncomfortable or confusing.
Now, why is this important? Well, our brains are like powerful computers, and emotions are a big part of the software. When we avoid or distract ourselves from feelings, it's like hitting the pause button on that emotional software. Sure, it might give us a temporary break, but it doesn't solve the puzzle or help us understand what's going on.
"Sit in your feelings" is a bit like pressing play on that emotional software. It means taking the time to look at each puzzle piece, understand why it's there, and figure out how it fits into the bigger picture. It's not about making you feel bad; it's about helping you become a puzzle master, understanding yourself better, and finding ways to make the whole picture make more sense. So, in simple terms, it's a way to help your brain work through stuff, kind of like a mental workout for better emotional health!