Have you ever thought about your family and how you grew up?  Did your family talk about feelings, or was your family communication limited to the weather and what’s for dinner?  Many families don’t communicate well.  Many people don’t know how to manage emotions, or what to do when someone cries.  I have talked with many people in treatment who struggle to even identify what they are feeling, let alone talk about how they feel.   So let’s start by talking about identifying feelings, so you can share your feelings in a healthy way.

                Of course there are the basics feelings, happy, sad, mad, scared, and frustrated.  Literally, there are hundreds of other feeling words.   Google feeling words and charts, and you will find many.  Some are more simple with only a handful, and others include many ways to identify feelings and functioning.  At some point, take a look and read through what you find.  Think about each word you read and how it fits into your life.  Are you struggling with that emotion, or is that something that doesn’t affect you.  It might be hard to think about feelings that you are having, but try. 

                Now that you have some things identified, what now?  As you begin to think about your feelings, and what you are experiencing, work to determine what’s affecting you most.  Are there things that are affecting your happiness?  What do you have control over, and what issues are being shaped by other people?  How do you decrease emotions that are hurting you and your happiness, or manage them differently?  It will take time but you can make changes as you think about what might be holding you back. 

                When you think about all the different types of issues, fear and anxiety often keep people from being able to move forward.  Whether you are afraid of social interaction, or other situations, being able to identify issues is key to making changes in your life.  This is one of those times when you may need help to work on how to manage emotions that are holding you back.  If your family struggled to manage emotions, or became aggressive to cover up emotions, you will be learning new skills.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help as you begin your work.   This may not be an easy process.  It was, I think our society would be very different.

                In order to fully share emotions, you need to learn how to communicate and what to expect.  Sharing emotions in a healthy way with other people who are healthy increases support and happiness.  Sharing emotions with people who are not healthy or comfortable with feelings can be hard, and can increase depression and anxiety.   I often work with people about sharing information, and managing expectations.  The trick is not to share and expect to hear what you need to hear. 

                When you think about sharing emotions, it doesn’t have to be scary.  Learning how to share emotions in a health way allows you to take care of yourself and create a life that allows for your happiness.  Hiding emotions increases mental health issues like depression and anxiety.  Don’t stay trapped.  Learn to manage feelings effectively.  It’s all part of being happy for life.