Why Suppressing Your Emotions Is Making You Sick
- Sep 24, 2024
- 3 min read
Georgia Kostopoulou is a somatic practitioner & health coach bridging the gap between chronic illness and the physical body. She is passionate about holistic healing, which stems from her own experience of healing health challenges. Wellness fueled her passion, but her own health struggles got her to reveal the root causes of her chronic illness.
We cannot think and feel at the same time and what we donʼt feel, we repress! Have you ever wondered why you might feel physically unwell even after addressing all the seemingly logical causes? It turns out, our emotional state plays a much bigger role in our health than we might realize. When we experience strong emotions, our body goes into "fight-or-flight" mode, a natural stress response. But if these emotions are repressed or ignored, this stress response can linger, leading to chronic pain, weakened immunity, and inflammation – the root of many health issues.
The problem is, our society often pushes us to "think our way out" of problems. We analyze, dissect, and try to solve everything with logic. This constant thinking can actually become a barrier to processing our emotions. We might feel overwhelmed by the pain of these emotions, leading us to push them down, repress them, and avoid them altogether. But here's the catch: repressing emotions keeps our body stuck in that stressed state, hindering its ability to heal.
The good news is, there's a way out of this cycle. By allowing ourselves to feel our emotions, we can break free from the grip of the stress response. This doesn't mean wallowing in negativity, but rather acknowledging our feelings without judgment. By creating space for our emotions, we can start to process and release them, allowing our bodies to move out of survival mode and begin healing. It's a shift from "thinking our way out" to "feeling our way through," and it could be the key to unlocking a path to better health.
When you experience pain, your brain releases chemicals, which have a numbing effect. This makes us focus on our physical symptoms in order to avoid feeling our painful emotions.
The body is so intelligent and is actually trying to protect you!
However, this is a short-term solution that can actually make the pain worse in the long run.This is because when we focus on our physical symptoms, we are reinforcing the pain pathways in our brains.
The key to healing chronic pain is to focus on our emotions, not our physical symptoms.This may seem counterintuitive. But it is essential for breaking the pain cycle.
When we focus on our emotions, we are allowing them to be processed and released. This is what will decrease pain. Just watch your overall health improving! When we think about our emotions, we are often judging them or trying to suppress them. This will only worsen what you are experiencing.
I know firsthand that feeling your emotions IS scary, but it is essential for releasing the energy that is trapped from your body. When you feel your emotions, you are allowing them to be processed and released. This can lead to a decrease in stress and anxiety, and an improvement in your overall health and well-being.
5 easy steps on how to feel an emotion in the body
Become - aware of the emotion. Close your eyes, take a few deep breathes. Feel the experience of having a body.
Name - what emotion you are feeling (e.g. sadness, anger, anxiety, frustration, disappointment)
Accept - that the emotion is here
Get curious - about the feeling. “Where do I feel this in my body?ˮ, “When have I felt this way before?
Allow - the feeling to release. Let the tears, shake, huffs and sighs.
Was this helpful?
I would love to hear your feedback! Letʼs connect!
Send me a message on Instagram @healwithgeorgia or email me here.
Read more from Georgia Kostopoulou
Georgia Kostopoulou, Integrative Somatic Practitioner & Health Coach
Georgia Kostopoulou is an integrative somatic practitioner & health coach. Through a holistic approach that integrates mind and body, Georgia empowers individuals to discover their innate healing potential and experience lasting transformation. She understands the profound impact of feeling depleted and the frustration of navigating seemingly endless treatment options with limited results. Years of dedicated research and exploration of diverse protocols and healing modalities fueled her commitment to guide others towards a path of unveiling the root causes of chronic illness and unlocking their healthiest life.
