Showing Emotion: a Sign of Weakness or Strength?

Let’s challenge the idea that showing emotion makes us weak and the idea that showing emotion makes us strong. Showing emotions makes us human.

Emotions are very much part of being human and are very much felt in our body even before the message that they’re carrying about threat, pain or joy has even reached our mind. The difference between emotions serving us or not lies in regulation and maybe this is why emotions got such a bad rep.

It is when our nervous system is dysregulated that emotions can “get us in trouble.” A dysregulated nervous system gears up for survival, and in that state, clear and expansive thinking is nearly impossible. Thoughtful and weighed decisions will be elusive. An emotionally dysregulated state may not serve us well beyond the primary directive of survival.

Emotions need to be felt, processed and let go. Learning to do this in a regulated way is essential to our overall wellness of mind and body. For most of us, it’s something that we need to relearn and work hard (by ourselves or with the support of therapy) due to the messages that we’ve received or past relational wounds or traumatic experiences.