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Sit With Your Emotions

Dr Henriette Smith

October 2021

Many people don’t take the time to engage with their own emotions. They prefer to distract themselves with anything that they can, whether they realize it or not, because just being by themselves with their thoughts is a scary notion.  

Some people are secretly less happy than they appear to be and don’t want to face the emotions they have surrounding that, so they’ll supplement it with something like emotional eating instead to take their minds off of it and avoid having to have that inner discussion.  

You might very well be avoiding your emotions, whether you know it or not, especially if you engage in emotional eating. When you start to use food as solace, you might have something specific in mind that you’re upset about, like a breakup, or you might just be doing it because you’re avoiding something that you’re not very aware of.  

It could be that someone said something rude to you and it stuck with you throughout the day, so you eat a lot more later on so you’re not thinking about it, but rather more focused on your large comfort meal.  

You can’t hide from moments like this by eating food, but rather you have to sit and be with your thoughts and emotions and work through them logically. A good way to start practicing this is by getting into meditation.  

Being able to clear your mind and just sit calmly is a great way to learn that self-control, which is so important to handling emotions. When you’re able to only focus on how you’re feeling, you gain a lot of clarity in your mind that helps you overcome these obstacles in your life much more than you would find by emotionally eating.  

You should also work your way up through your emotions and start with some lesser ones so that you get a grip on it. If you dive straight into your harshest and most brutal emotions, then you’re going to have a hard time handling them.  

You need to start with something like why you were upset when someone cut you off in traffic, before you can move on to your deeper seeded childhood traumas. Being able to handle your emotions as they come to you is such a crucial thing to learn, because without it, you will act irrationally.  

Things like eating when you get stressed out or lashing out when you’re angry stem from not being in control. But if you have a good grip on your mindset, you’re going to have a much better time dealing with things and letting them go or creating a plan of action to get past it. 

This post is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered therapy. This blog is only for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered therapy or any form of treatment. We are not able to respond to specific questions or comments about personal situations, appropriate diagnosis or treatment, or otherwise provide any clinical opinions. If you think you need immediate assistance, call your local doctor/psychologist or psychiatrist or the SADAG Mental Health Line on 011 234 4837. If necessary, please phone the Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567 or sms 31393. 

This blog is only for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered therapy or any form of treatment. We are not able to respond to specific questions or comments about personal situations, appropriate diagnosis or treatment, or otherwise provide any clinical opinions. If you think you need immediate assistance, call your local doctor/psychologist or psychiatrist or the SADAG Mental health Line on 011 234 4837. If necessary, please phone the Suicide Crisis Line on 0800 567 567 or sms 31393.