When Emotions Become Our Comfort Zone

Do you ever catch yourself saying, “I am so overwhelmed?” Sometimes we can get lost in our emotions. And if we are not processing them, they can become our comfort zone. When I was younger I was struggling with loneliness. I didn’t know how to process through the loneliness I was feeling or change it. I would imagine Peter Pan coming to take me away to Neverland so I could try to escape my feelings.

Over time living in loneliness had transformed into depression. Some of my clients live in worry and it becomes overwhelm. Some of my clients live in fear and it becomes anxiety. When we make a negative emotion our comfort zone it can erode our confidence. All our attention is aimed at the emotion, we start losing ourselves.

When I came out of my depression, I made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t let an emotion take over ever again. I dedicated my time to learning how to feel my emotions, and the changes I needed to make to feel confident in who I was. This is the path that worked for me. It came in three stages, awareness, acceptance, and then growth.

The Three-Stage Path to Emotional Wellness

Awareness is the Foundation

Building awareness is the foundation to your wellness journey. The more you become curious and learn about yourself the more you will be able to change. It can feel difficult trying to take something invisible and making it visible. That is why I recommend journaling and why I created the Own Your Mindset Journal (see below for details).

Learning how to process emotions starts with being able to acknowledge when you are experiencing that emotion. What life circumstances trigger this emotion? Where do you feel this emotion in your body? Start getting comfortable being uncomfortable with this emotion.

Acceptance is the Hardest Step

Acceptance is the hardest step. It is hard to accept things about yourself that you don’t like. However, if you can’t accept that they are there, then you will never get to change them. The goal is to learn how to change through love, not through fear.

When it comes to processing your emotions this means giving yourself permission to have emotions to begin with! You are allowed to be overwhelmed, anxious, and depressed. This helps you release any self judgement you have about experiencing these emotional states.

Growth is Where Confidence Lives

Growth is the last phase. This is where you are fully walking in who you are. This stage is owning your life, and feeling confident in who you are. Through this confidence you are able to accomplish your dreams.

In relation to your emotions this looks like understanding your triggers as they are happening in real time. Allowing yourself to process emotions as they come up. Not letting emotions control your day to day. Emotions are a normal part of the human experience. So if you have different emotions that is a good sign! Welcome to being human.

If you find yourself struggling with big emotions, know you are not alone! Give yourself the permission to treat yourself with kindness as you learn to process your emotions.