Sep
Feels good to be heard!
Feels good to be heard!
People often comment on my openness, I am somebody who shares my thoughts and feelings with those around me. This is because I thoroughly believe in the benefits of communicating one’s emotions.Never to excess; there are healthy and unhealthy ways of expression. I am open because I choose to be, because I see the benefits of it in my life every day.
Healthy expression of your feelings is a form of reflection, done right it can help one process, gain perspective and enjoy some relief and comfort. It’s something that can be done through many forms, the two primary forms being written or spoken word. It consists of conveying your thoughts and emotions in an open and honest manner. It’s important for unhealthy and unhelpful expression to be avoided. Fixating, obsessing and catastrophizing can only lead to negativity. This is why it is vital to find the right people to share your feelings with. You should have listeners who are objective yet sympathetic, someone who allows you to gain perspective on the situation without shaming you. We should never be allowed to indulge in self-pity or wallowing nor should we ever feel like our feelings are not valid. We can accept our feelings without feeding into them or self castigating.
Sometimes all it takes is to say or write the words in order to lift away their weight. Words allowed to revolve and revolve around our minds continuously grow heavier, until our heads are filled with nothing but the thick concrete of their exaggerated meanings. It is the perfect breeding ground for obsession and catastrophization.
This week in particular I have been reminded of the benefits of 
healthy expression. I saw, in my own life, how speaking my feelings, feelings that I’ve allowed to roll around for a year, gave me closure. Their importance vanquished now that I had spoken them to the person at whom they had been directed. I’ve witnessed friends experiencing the benefits of being more open. Just a side note, being my friend means I talk at you until you talk! I’ve seen these friends, once resigned to their “closed nature”, choosing to speak their minds and unload their burdens, brick by brick. I take no credit for this, I just rejoice in seeing the positive effect in their lives because it is remarkable.
Our minds form prisons for our thoughts if we allow them to. Using healthy expression we can remove the excessive power our negative thoughts can generate. Thrive can help to address these thoughts and feelings and help us to learn how to manage them in a healthy and helpful manner. We can all learn to thrive, it’s in our hands, and sometimes it’s just nice to be heard. Finding someone to talk to or putting our words to paper can be such a helpful addition to your life. Liberate yourself and Thrive!