Emotions

There is no doubt that positivity is important and that an optimistic approach to life is needed, but in trying to be bright and cheery there is a danger that we demonise so called ‘negative’ emotions. I often feel sad, angry, fed-up, and resentful about Parkinson’s, but I rarely share that online, however, that is creating the illusion that these emotions are shameful and not valid. We need to acknowledge all of our emotions, not just those branded ‘good’, we are often conditioned not to express negative emotions as we want to appear nice and likeable. However, the full spectrum of feelings is equally valid, it is not always possible to have a happy disposition, and we should not feel any guilt for that whatsoever.

Sometimes terrible things happen, life can be unfair, positivity is not always easy to cling onto; it is okay to be pessimistic, to moan, and to feel despair. Dark days are normal and can have a foundation in the truth of your situation, so go easy on yourself.

When we are stuck in a rut of negative thinking our instinct may be to feel like a bad person, but these emotions are actually telling us what we need, and that something needs to be addressed or changed. Anger, fear, resentment or sadness can point you in new direction or to find solutions. So, fall into the pain rather than avoiding it, or letting it fester and sweeping it under the carpet. See negative emotions as an invitation and a nudge to make a change. 

Anger is one such ‘negative’ emotion, but when used in the right way, it can be incredibly healing, it is usually seen as destructive, but it can be used in a very constructive way. Anger is a normal and healthy emotion but if we don’t address it at the early stages it can result in an explosion. Internalising and suppressing these emotions leads to illness, depression, and anxiety, and if not dealt with the effects will creep up on us.

Identify your triggers; they may be people or situations, then take action. Can you stop being around the people or situations? Are you overreacting? Do you need to be more resilient or calm? There is a definite link between how our brains deal with emotions and our physical and mental health. Think of ‘negative’ emotions as needs to be addressed and not ignore, your body is screaming that something needs to change. Please don’t ignore the signals…