When I was growing up, there was a Secret deodorant commercial that ended by saying, “never let ‘em see you sweat!” And I used to tease my mother and tell her that was her life motto. But I took it in as a rule, too, because that really was a way of life for my mother. When I would come home crying, she’d lecture me about giving them the satisfaction and tell me not to feel whatever I was feeling. So I tried very hard to be just like her. And for quite some time, it was nearly impossible. But eventually, I did so well at pretending all was well that people used to tell me I looked peaceful when I was raging on the inside. When I was in my 20s, a therapist threatened to fire me because I was telling her painful stories with absolutely no emotional expression. I convinced her to keep me, but like The Velveteen Rabbit, it took me a long time to become real. And even longer to learn how to cope with the intense feelings I had. How do you deal with big feelings? Let’s talk about that, today. How to Respond to Big FeelingsAs a sensitive healer, you’re bound to feel things more deeply than most. And like me, you may have learned that the best way to deal with difficult feelings is to hide them from yourself, or to talk yourself out of them. What should you do instead? First, make sure they are yours. You’re intuitive, probably an empath, which means that you are constantly tuning into to the thoughts, feelings, attitudes, longings and impulses of others. And of course, the problem is that they feel like they are your own. Ask to clear everything but your own energy and use a clearing tool or technique, like visualizing the energy going into the ground to be transmuted and then to come back to you as love. But once you know that the intense or painful feelings are really yours, resist the temptation to deny or talk yourself out of them. In Wicked, the real hero is the woman with all the intensity. Instead, I suggest a more tender approach that bathes you in self-love and self-acceptance. Reach for them both, rather than self-criticism or rejection. Journaling & Other |
Hi, I'm JeanineI help highly sensitive, awakened healers come home to themselves & create emotional healing, comfort and joy through gentle self-tending techniques and warm, cozy rituals. Want to try one today? Just click the graphic below. Archives
January 2025
Categories
All
|