Masking emotions!
Today was one of those days when my emotions were just all over the place. When this happens, I try to face them, reflect and reframe. Maybe you’ve had similar days?
Picture it, it’s a happy day. Maybe it’s a Friday, almost the weekend, and you are feeling joy and gratitude. Then something happens. Maybe you lose your wallet or get in an argument with someone close to you and suddenly your mood shifts to surprise, anger, sadness, fear, etc.
It almost feels like a popcorn of emotions in a popper. What will come up next and how do I get them under control?
Ask yourself how you showed up. Did you mask your emotions or allow yourself to lean into them, feel them and let them flow through?
How can we learn from the experience?
If you lost your wallet, was your first thought panic? Of course, most of us would feel that way.
It’s fine to let that feeling come in and then let it flow out, by taking a deep breath and starting to retrace your steps with a new sense of calm.
When we try to mask our feelings and emotions the real victim is our own wellbeing.
The problem with masking is that it doesn’t get to the root cause. The more masking, the deeper the issue. It causes us to continue to make the same choices over and over again and get the same results. Even though masking seems like control, it actually keeps us stuck with no change or growth.
All emotions have a purpose and serve us. Masking them takes a toll on us and everyone around us.
If we say we’re fine when we’re not, if we say we can’t deal with something and shove it down, if we use sarcasm or combative behavior out of fear, we are masking emotions. There is an old saying, “what we resist persists.”
The path to unmasking is simple.
Make peace with the emotion. Face it. Show up with compassion and curiosity. Accept and embrace what is happening. We can’t control how others react, but we can control how we do. Be bold. Give yourself the gift of self-acceptable and the grace to acknowledge and feel your emotions.
Once the mask is off, true change can begin.
If you are ready to embrace your emotions, schedule a meet and greet with me and we can discover techniques to help you face, reflect and reframe.