How to learn to navigate emotional discomfort and be reborn

“I feel bad emotionally, but I don’t know why, I just feel like something is wrong.” We all know emotional discomfort. That sensation in which feelings of sadness, anger, hopelessness or inability intermingle and that it overwhelms us so much that we are willing to let go or for it to disappear.

In these cases, there are different strategies that could help you deal with those emotions to move forward. However, if the discomfort you experience is very intense, it is best to seek professional guidance.

Sometimes this feeling could be a sign of a larger problem, such as a depressive disorder or anxiety. Therefore, it is essential that you see a specialist who can evaluate your situation and make an accurate diagnosis.

Why do I feel bad emotionally?

To begin with, it is important to remember that emotions, positive or negative, arise due to some external or internal event. For example, when someone surprises us with a good gift, we are likely to feel joy. So, Feeling emotional discomfort also responds to an underlying cause and it is essential to identify it.

In this way, we can plan an intervention on that discomfort. It should be noted that saying “I feel bad emotionally” can cover a whole series of different factors. Next, we will learn about the most frequent causes of this situation.

Stress

Stress is a natural response of the body in a wide variety of situations, and to a certain extent it is adaptive. Nevertheless, When stress lasts over time, it begins to wreak havoc on your health.. Therefore, experiencing emotional distress may be a sign that stress is taking its toll.

A study by Naseem (2018) evaluated the influence of work stress on the happiness of telecommunication workers. The results found that this affected the ability to feel joy significantly. So, we recommend that you evaluate your stress level and whether there is a possibility that it is influencing the problem.

Stress sustained over time and not addressed affects how we feel, what we think and what we do.

Loss

Feeling emotionally can be related to some loss. The death of a loved one, a breakup, or even losing a job are events that begin a grieving process. In this sense, Grief can cause feelings of deep sadness, hopelessness, and emotional pain.

If you are going through an experience like this and you feel like you are not okay, it is natural. Normally, after a while, those emotions calm down and you can process the loss. On the other hand, if they become more intense and prevent you from being functional, it is necessary to seek professional attention.

Family or relationship problems

Generally, we live with our family or our partner. If there is some type of conflict that creates a tense environment, discomfort could appear; even if we are not in the same place.

Maybe at first we don’t notice it, but as the days go by and the situation intensifies, so do the feelings. In this way, they could be the cause of that uncomfortable feeling that we have and we don’t know how to explain well.

Depression

Feeling bad emotionally is not always synonymous with depression; What can happen is that under certain conditions, you can fit this diagnosis: let’s say you are aligned with it.

If this feeling lasts for a long time, you feel hopeless or have suicidal ideation, you could be experiencing depression. Other common symptoms are lack of appetite, sleeping too much or too little, and apathy.

If you suspect that you are going through a depressive episode, do not hesitate to seek professional attention.

Anxiety

Anxiety can become clinically significant for many reasons. Additionally, it can be linked to various everyday life situations, such as socializing.

It is a condition that can produce physiological symptoms, such as tachycardia, sweating, tremors, chest pain, nightmares, etc. Added to this, on a psychological level, it causes constant worry and ruminative and intrusive thoughts.

What can you do if you feel bad emotionally?

The most advisable thing to address emotional discomfort is to identify the cause of it and address it. For example, if you think that problems at home may be causing this feeling, you could try talking to your family and finding solutions. However, there are a number of general recommendations that are useful:

Do activities that give you pleasure

Focusing exclusively on how bad you feel helps that emotion intensify. As far as possible, try to do activities that are healthythat allow you to let off steam or enjoy what you are doing.

For example, spending time with your loved ones, reading a book, watching a movie, etc. Although they will not make the discomfort disappear completely, they take away its prominence for a while.

Talk to people close to you

Talking about what you’re feeling with supportive people can alleviate some of the discomfort. These can be trusted friends, family or your partner.

When you feel that someone listens to you and you feel understood, it is easier to get rid of that thought that tells you that you are alone with your pain. Furthermore, the support of others is essential to regulate emotional distress.

Do physical exercise

Chekroud et al. (2018) published a longitudinal study on the relationship between physical exercise and mental health. The authors conclude that Those who exercised frequently suffered fewer mental health problems. Let us remember that physical exercise produces the secretion of hormones in the body that generate a feeling of well-being.

Additionally, exercising provides energy and improves overall health, making us less prone to depression and anxiety. By this we do not mean that you should do a strenuous exercise routine. Activities such as going for a walk or cycling for at least half an hour a day are enough to produce benefits.

When you exercise, the body releases endorphins, which help improve your mood.

Learn from your emotions

When you analyze what you feel, you can better understand what is happening to you. A classic example is sadness, which can appear after a loss and shows how much we valued that person, relationship or object.

In this way, we have already seen that emotional discomfort can encompass groups of different emotions. If we focus on them and become aware of their existence, it is easier to understand the cause of the discomfort. Additionally, this helps us give new meaning to the experience.

Avoid making impulsive decisions

In the midst of pain, anger, or sadness, you may be tempted to make impulsive decisions. However, keep in mind that A choice without reasoning can have negative consequences. As a result, the emotional distress you experience could worsen. In this situation, it is best to regulate your feelings before making a choice.

Finally, it is important to emphasize that the main objective is not to confront emotions or ignore them; By doing so, we would probably only increase the discomfort. Rather, it is about understanding it, knowing what it tells us and seeing what we can do. Nevertheless, If you feel that your mood prevents you from continuing with your life, the best option is to seek help.

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