How to express yourself and why?

What makes us different from the rest is the ability to express ourselves. Our personality determines the kind of person we are and we are capable of. Being in touch with our feelings will not only make us a better person but let us be authentic. Bottling up our feelings akin to wearing imaginary weights which keeps getting bigger every time we hold back our emotions. Even before we realize, these weights keep increasing until it becomes a burden that immobilizes us. We find ourselves stuck in a loop of negative patterns and there is no way out. Emotional health is therefore impertinent to our overall health.

There are many situations in life where we have no option but to hold ourselves back. For instance, if you’re coming from a place of anger, make sure that you do not go around offending people for no reason. Your problems are your own and nobody else is responsible for it. The purpose of expressing your emotions is to convey your feelings, engage in open and healthy banter and not embarrass another human being.

The simple truth is you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble if you learn to express freely. How many issues have you faced in a relationship because of something you said or something you didn’t?

Strategies to express yourself

It is therefore important to learn how to convey your feelings, so here are a few strategies to help you do so

Only impress yourself

I know that putting yourself in the spotlight and have people judge you is a scary thought. But if you know who you are and what you come from, does it matter what others think of you? At the end of the day what matters is the way you feel about yourself. If you are comfortable in your own skin, nothing and no one can bother you. There will always be people who stand with you, and against you, so why not just be yourself? What do you have to lose?

Stand for something

This is a very significant step in building your confidence. It allows your personality to shine. There are many people in this world who do not say what they think, rather they say what others want to hear. Finding a purpose or belief will shape your values which in turn will mold your identity allowing like-minded people to connect with and support you. There are times we say or do things to get a certain reaction from people but are disappointed if the outcome is otherwise. We should keep in mind that we have no control over anything in life except for our own actions. So let your actions speak for themselves, your body and mind will be grateful for your honesty.

Find an outlet

People do many things to express themselves. Acting, singing or dancing are all forms of expression. Self-expression is an important factor in embarking on the journey of finding out who you are. Expressive writing has been shown to be related to a better immune system functioning, reduced blood pressure and reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression. I personally use a digital diary to record my feelings. It helps me track my mental progress through writing. The app I use is called Reverie.

If there are any takeaways from this article, let it be this: there is no harm in furthering your ability to express yourself, but there are tons of potential benefits.