We all know that if you’re experiencing negative emotions, the worst thing you can do is bottle them up or push them down – it might work as a short term solution, but it’s a short road to everything blowing up in your face a little further down the line. However, addressing your emotions head on, or the person that’s caused them, is also not always a viable option – for example if your boss is driving you insane, it isn’t appropriate to tell them exactly how you really feel. However, luckily there are plenty of ways you can work through your emotions, a few of which we’ve listed here.
- Competitive sports
When you really need to just get out of your own head, watching Ligamx matches or playing sports can be a great way to go. The physical activity combined with committing to trying to win puts you in an entirely different mindset while the competitive aspect also provides an outlet for any negative emotions that you may be experiencing. You don’t even have to join a team – two player sports such as badminton and tennis are also great competitive options to get it out of your system.
- Running
There’s nothing quite like the sensation of your feet thumping across the tarmac to give you a sense of release and satisfaction. Sports in general are known to be a great way to help boost mood and work through difficult times, and running has the added benefit of being a solitary sport which allows you to spend time with your thoughts and work through things mentally simultaneously.
- Playing music
Many musicians find that playing their instruments or creating new music is a fantastic way to let out their emotions and begin to understand their own feelings in a more positive way. Some of the most popular songs in history have been written about difficult emotional events such as break ups and loss – for example Killers anthem Mr Brightside was written about the lead singer’s pain at being cheated on by a girlfriend. So, if you are someone who’s lucky enough to be able to sing or play an instrument, these can be a great outlet for your difficult emotions.
- Painting
Though it doesn’t work for everyone, an artistic outlet like painting can help people to work through their issues. You can either adopt an angry style of painting and hurl paint at the canvas, or whether you place more value on the absorbing nature of creating a detailed painting, artwork can be a great way to let out difficult emotions and feel better after you’ve done so. You can even take a Learn To Watercolor Paint Course to develop technical skill while enhancing your ability to think creatively, which will translate into your own unique watercolor voice.
- Writing
There’s an old technique for letting out anger which is to write an angry letter to the person you are angry with, or about the situation you are angry about, and get it all out of your system. These letters are often pages long and can be as nasty and filled with vitriol as you like – because the trick is never to send them. Once written, the letters can simply be deleted if on digital or, more satisfyingly, burned to make sure they don’t end up in the wrong hands. If after a few days you still want to write an actual letter, you will be in a better state of mind to write one that is much more civilised and reasonable.
If you’re struggling with your emotions at the moment, make sure to talk to your loved ones about it and keep in touch with how you’re feeling. On top of that, some of these suggestions are a great way to get your emotions processed in a healthy way.