We all feel emotions. They can affect how we think, grow and act. But when you are feeling bad, it can help if you talk to someone you trust, says Katie Leung, who is a psychotherapist and social worker in Hong Kong.
Feelings such as embarrassment and disappointment can hurt us. Leung explained: “We might feel embarrassed when we trip and fall in the playground with many people around. We also could feel disappointed when someone refuses to play with us.”
So, how should we deal with these emotions?
“When you feel bad about yourself, you should talk to someone you trust, such as your parents and friends,” Leung said. They can help us understand that everyone feels bad sometimes and that we are not alone.
But talking about our feelings can be hard. The psychotherapist said we might worry about being judged, and it could be difficult to find the right words to describe how we feel.
Still, talking about your emotions is healthy; it helps us to be more aware of our emotions and understand why we feel that way. When we discuss our feelings, our brain has better control of them.
“When you keep your negative feelings to yourself, they can build up inside you,” Leung said. Talking about our emotions makes them seem less scary.
But what should we do when we have no one to speak to? “You can write about your feelings in a journal or even talk to your pets or stuffed animals,” Leung said. Just remember that it is OK to feel different emotions and to show them – this is healthy and part of being human!
Talk it out
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Can you come up with five different types of negative feelings?
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Think about a time when you experienced these emotions. What caused you feel this way?
