Emotions as Messengers

There’s a common misconception that emotions are either good or bad. When you hear “good emotions”, what comes to mind? What about when you hear “bad emotions”? We have been conditioned to believe that emotions exist as one thing (good) or another thing (bad) when in fact this is not the case. While some emotions might feel uncomfortable (i.e. anger, jealousy, sadness), emotions are simply messengers.

We live in a society that shuns or suppresses uncomfortable emotions. For example, sadness must be remedied through distractions. Anger must be pushed aside. Stress must be exercised away. In today’s world, there is little tolerance for uncomfortable emotions. Why? Because uncomfortable emotions have such a negative connotation! It’s “bad” to feel anger, so it MUST be pushed aside. When in fact, anger is a normal part of being human, and anger is an emotion that communicates a much deeper message. Anger might be trying to tell you that your boundaries have been violated, that an injustice occurred, that something or someone hurt you or that you are scared. Sadness might be trying to tell you that you are burned out and need a mental break, that something needs to be released or that you need comfort.

There are many emotions within the human experience, and countless messages that those emotions are attempting to convey. So what if we turned towards the discomfort and listened to the underlying message that the emotions carries, rather than ignoring the emotion or suppressing it? Turning toward an emotion, especially if it’s uncomfortable, can not only increase tolerance to that particular emotion, but help to better process the emotion entirely. All emotions carry underlying messages-it’s important to acknowledge the emotion and the message behind the emotion.

Next time you feel an intense or uncomfortable emotion, ask yourself: What is this emotion trying to communicate? What do I need in this moment?

Emotions are not good or bad. Emotions are messengers carrying important information to help us navigate the world and care for ourselves.