10 healthy ways to express your emotions

Activities that will help you stay connected to yourself and others, improve your overall health and support a more authentic, fulfilling and meaningful life.

The fact that experiencing emotions is a part of being human is something I have already talked about extensively. One of my previous blogs goes into a fair bit of detail about what emotions are, why some of us have trouble feeling them and how we tend to avoid them. At the end of that blog, I suggest that we don’t need to do anything with our emotions, just allow them to be what they are and let them pass. I want to acknowledge that some emotions don’t pass easily. If your emotions are sticking around for a prolonged period of time or they keep coming back, it may be helpful to have a healthy outlet for expressing them. Here are ten suggestions for activities that can help you with that.

Journaling

By putting your experience on paper you are releasing it from your internal world, which not only provides a relief, but can also bring clarity, insight and deeper awareness. As you write, you might be able to make connections between your emotions and events in your life. This helps you understand yourself better and make sense of your experiences. Journaling is not only a great way to express emotions that are feeling urgent and intense, but also a helpful regular self-care activity that can prevent us from experiencing a built-up of emotions we may have unknowingly suppressed.

Music

You don’t have to be a talented musician for music to be a helpful way of expressing yourself. Blast your favourite song and sing along even if you’re hopelessly out of tune. If you have a musical instrument, have a play even if you’ve not practised for a long time. Use a piece of furniture to do some drumming. Or simply listen to music that resonates with the way you feel in the moment. This can provide a way of validating your emotions, allowing you to connect with the way you feel fully and letting your emotions naturally pass.

Arts and crafts

Engaging in a physical activity that’s focused on creating something can be a great way to direct the energy our emotions carry. Similarly to music, arts and crafts can be particularly helpful when we’re unable to articulate what’s going on for us with words. Creating art can provide an emotional release, space for exploration and self-discovery. Using our emotions to fuel the creation of a physical object feels empowering, and provides a sense of accomplishment. Try painting, pottery, sculpting, origami, drawing, colouring in, knitting, sewing or restoring old furniture.

Gardening

Spending time in contact with nature is a great resource for when we’re faced with life’s challenges or as a general self-care practice. When it comes to stored up or lingering emotions, weeding or digging can be very supportive in helping your body release them. The sensory and physical aspects of gardening have a grounding effect on our nervous system and help us connect to ourselves. We are then able to channel what’s present in our body into caring for plants and creating something beautiful.

Dancing and other physical activities

Let your body guide you and move in a way that feels most supportive and expressive. Play your favourite tune and let yourself move with the rhythm. Try moving your body in a way that expresses the emotion you’re feeling. You might not have the words to describe it, but you might have the move. Repeat it, make the movement bigger or exaggerated if that feels good. You might also find it helpful to run (or fast-walk) up and down the stairs, a hill or around the block, stomp your feet on the spot, do some push ups, jumping jacks or similar dynamic movements.

Listening to your body

Especially if your emotions are related to anger you might feel strong urges to hit something or scream. Find a safe way to direct these urges. Hit a pillow, scream into it, yell out into an empty field. Emotions related to sadness, loneliness and even anxiety may signal to you that you want to be held in some way. Give yourself a hug, put one hand on your chest and the other on your tummy or use a weighted blanket to provide some containment.

Talking to a friend or a therapist

Sometimes just sharing how we feel with someone who listens can make a big difference. Who can you have a good vent with? Is there a friend who will listen, won’t judge or tell you what to do? A good therapist will help you find a way to express emotions that seem to be a bit stuck even if you’re struggling to name them or get in touch with them.

Writing a letter

If you know what or who your emotions are related to, try expressing yourself freely in a letter. This letter can be for someone else, yourself, a part of you or even the emotion you are feeling. This is a great exercise for releasing stored up conflict, emotions or anything else you might be holding on to. Don’t actually post the letter if it is for someone else. Instead, make sure that when you write it, you don’t hold back and really open up about how you feel. It can also be helpful to create a ritual for “sending off” this in some symbolic way.

Allowing yourself to cry

Crying is a natural acknowledgment and an expression of your feelings. Whether it’s sadness, frustration, overwhelm or pent up emotions we’re unable to identify, crying is a great release. Endorphins, our body’s feel-good chemicals, flood our system when we cry, so the act of crying actually also makes us feel better.

Assertive communication

Assertiveness is often misunderstood and mixed up with being bossy or selfish. It’s none of that. Assertiveness is about clearly and authentically expressing what’s going on for us. This way we are releasing emotions from our body and giving our relationship with the person involved an opportunity for connection instead of distancing ourselves and bottling up our feelings. The best way to get started with assertiveness is to use “I statements” when communicating. This allows you to express yourself without placing blame or pointing a finger. For example: “I feel disrespected, when you speak to me this way”. Read more about assertiveness in one of my older blogs.

Emotions don’t have to make sense and there is no manual for how they should present themselves. Sometimes it’s hard to know what emotion we’re feeling. If it seems like something is bottling up inside you and you’re having trouble getting in touch with it, try using one of the above activities. They might help you express and release what’s going on for you without necessarily needing to put it in words. Start by reminding yourself that all your emotions are valid and they don’t need to be justified or explained.