Being able to adequately express yourself
isn’t something that comes naturally to some, or even most of us. But it’s
important for you to be able to express yourself and express your wants, needs,
and desires, as well as express things you don’t like. Being able to express
yourself is necessary to live an authentic, fulfilling, and healthy life, and
to help you create the life of your dreams!
There are three main steps involved in
learning to express yourself. These steps may not feel natural at first because
they are new, but stick with it! You'll soon find yourself better able to
express yourself to those around you with confidence.
1.
Learn to listen to yourself, your emotions, and your intuition. Too
often, early in life, we are taught (directly or indirectly) to hide our
emotions, and put on a smiling face even when we don't feel like it. It's time
to unlearn all of that. So, the first step is to begin to really feel the
emotions that are inside you. Your first instinct may be to mentally run away
from those feelings but try not to do that. Feel each emotion, no matter what
it is, without any self-judgment. Your emotions are simply what they are, and
there aren't any wrong emotions, only wrong ways that we've learned to react to
them. So, quiet yourself and allow yourself to feel because you can't express
yourself if you don't know what you're feeling.
2.
Acknowledge whatever you are feeling. Honor those feelings, again with
no judgment. By self-validating your feelings, you learn to seek answers from
within yourself, rather than always looking outside yourself for solutions. In
reality, all we need we already have inside of us. Acknowledging your feelings
might seem very frightening at first because you feel vulnerable. That's okay.
That feeling of vulnerability will go away once your mind realizes there isn't
really any need for fear.
3.
Tune in to how your body reacts to the emotions you are now experiencing.
Body awareness is very important in learning to express yourself, as it is one
of the best ways to gauge your comfort level. If you tense up in response to an
emotion, show your body and brain that everything is going to be okay by doing
some deep breathing. Close your eyes, acknowledge the feeling, and then let it
go. If a part of your body tenses up, consciously relax it. Use your new
awareness to find what works for you in terms of expressing yourself, both
emotionally and physically.
