When you suppress or repress emotions, you’re preventing yourself from experiencing and expressing feelings. This can happen consciously (suppression) or unconsciously (repression).

Either can contribute to mental and physical health symptoms, including:

• anxiety
• depression
• sleep issues
• muscle tension and pain
• difficulty managing stress
• substance misuse

Healthy emotional expression involves finding some balance between overwhelming emotions and no emotions at all.

• What am I feeling right now? (disappointed, confused, furious)
• What happened to make me feel this way? (They brushed me off with no explanation.)
• Does the situation have a different explanation that might make sense? (Maybe they’re stressed, sick, or dealing with something else they don’t feel comfortable explaining. They might plan to explain more when they can.)
• What do I want to do about these feelings? (Scream, vent my frustration by throwing things, text back something rude.)
• Is there a better way of coping with them? (Ask if everything’s OK. Ask when they’re free next. Go for a walk or run.)