The Power of Sitting with Emotions: A Guide to Emotional Healing

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel like you’re running on autopilot. Between the pressures of work, maintaining relationships, and managing responsibilities, our emotions can often feel like a chaotic storm that we’re either avoiding or suppressing. Yet, amidst the whirlwind, there’s a powerful practice that invites healing and growth—sitting with your emotions. This simple yet transformative act of emotional presence can unlock pathways to deeper understanding, self-compassion, and emotional resilience.

In this blog post, we’ll explore why sitting with your emotions is crucial for emotional healing, how to develop the practice, and the techniques you can use to manage even the most difficult feelings. Along the way, we’ll discuss the importance of emotional awareness, navigating discomfort, and cultivating self-compassion. By the end, you’ll understand how the art of sitting with your emotions can be a catalyst for healing and transformation.

What Does It Mean to Sit with Emotions? 

When we talk about sitting with emotions, we don’t mean allowing them to overwhelm us, nor do we suggest passively wallowing in negative feelings. Instead, the goal is to cultivate a mindful presence—an ability to observe our emotions and the sensations they create in the body without the need to change them or push them away.

Benefits to sitting with your emotions:

Improved emotional regulation: You learn to manage intense emotions without being overwhelmed by them.

Deeper self-awareness: You start recognising patterns and triggers in your emotional responses.

Increased resilience: Over time, you build a stronger capacity to handle difficult emotions with grace.

Personal growth: By sitting with discomfort, you grow and evolve emotionally, developing deeper insights into your true self.

The Importance of Emotional Awareness

Before we can sit with our emotions, we first need to become emotionally aware. Emotional awareness involves recognising the emotions you're feeling in real-time and understanding how those emotions affect your thoughts and behaviour.

For many of us, especially if we've been conditioned to ignore or suppress our feelings, developing emotional awareness can be a challenge. It requires us to be honest with ourselves and confront emotions that may feel uncomfortable or even painful. However, it's only through awareness that we can begin to heal.

Tips for cultivating emotional awareness:

Check in with yourself regularly: Throughout the day, take a moment to pause and ask yourself how you're feeling. You might be surprised by what comes up.

Notice your body's signals: Emotions often manifest as physical sensations. Pay attention to tension, tightness, or changes in your breathing when you're feeling strong emotions.

Name the emotion: Naming what you're feeling—whether it's sadness, anger, frustration, or joy—can help reduce the intensity of that emotion. It gives your mind something concrete to work with.

Why Sitting with Emotions is Healing

Sitting with emotions is a powerful way to heal because it brings mindfulness and acceptance into our emotional experience. Too often, we react to emotions by trying to fix them, avoid them, or distract ourselves. However, this only prolongs the emotional turmoil and prevents us from processing what we truly feel.

By allowing ourselves to be present with our emotions, we can begin to process them in a healthy way. This means that instead of being stuck in cycles of reactivity—whether that’s anger, fear, or sadness—we can work through our feelings and move forward with more clarity and peace.

Mindfulness practices, such as sitting with emotions, have been proven to have lasting effects on mental health. Research shows that mindfulness can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, increase emotional regulation, and improve overall well-being.

When we sit with our emotions:

We allow them to be fully felt and processed.

We reduce the likelihood of emotional outbursts or impulsive behaviour.

We develop emotional resilience, making it easier to handle difficult feelings in the future.

Practical Techniques for Sitting with Emotions

Now that we understand why sitting with emotions is so important, let's explore some practical techniques you can use to integrate this practice into your daily life.

1. Mindful Breathing

One of the easiest and most effective ways to sit with your emotions is through mindful breathing. When you focus on your breath, you anchor yourself in the present moment. This practice helps to create a space of stillness where you can observe your emotions without being overwhelmed by them.

How to Practice: Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths, focusing on the sensation of the air entering and leaving your body. As emotions arise, acknowledge them, but always return to the breath as your point of focus.

2. Body Scan Meditation

Emotions are often stored in the body, leading to physical tension and discomfort. Body scan meditation is a technique that brings awareness to the physical sensations in different parts of your body, allowing you to release any stored emotional energy.

How to Practice: Lie down or sit in a comfortable position. Starting at your toes, bring your attention to each part of your body, slowly working your way up to your head. Notice any sensations, tension, or discomfort. Allow yourself to sit with whatever feelings arise during this practice.

3. Journaling

Journaling can be a powerful way to sit with emotions. By writing down your thoughts and feelings, you give yourself an outlet to process your emotions without fear of judgment. Journaling helps you gain clarity and provides a safe space to reflect on your inner world.

How to Practice: Set aside 10-15 minutes each day to write freely about your emotions. Don’t worry about grammar, punctuation, or making sense. The goal is to let your thoughts flow freely onto the page.

4. Creative Expression

Sometimes, emotions are too complex for words. In these instances, creative expression—through painting, drawing, dancing, or music—can be an effective way to sit with your emotions. Creativity allows us to channel our feelings in a non-verbal, yet deeply expressive, way.

How to Practice: Choose a creative medium that resonates with you, and let yourself create without any specific goal in mind. The key is to express how you feel without censorship.

5. Mindful Movement

Mindful movement practices, such as yoga or tai chi, are excellent ways to connect with your body and release emotional tension. These practices combine movement with breath, helping to ground your emotions and bring awareness to the present moment.

How to Practice: Choose a yoga or tai chi routine that feels gentle and nourishing. As you move through each pose, focus on your breath and the sensations in your body. Allow any emotions that arise to flow through you without resistance.

 Dealing with Resistance and Discomfort

Sitting with emotions isn’t always easy. In fact, it can be deeply uncomfortable, especially when we’re dealing with emotions like grief, fear, or anger. Resistance is a natural part of this process. The key is to understand that discomfort is often a sign of growth.

When we encounter resistance, it’s important to approach it with curiosity and compassion. Rather than pushing it away, ask yourself why you’re resisting. What are you afraid of feeling? What beliefs do you have about this emotion?

Strategies for dealing with resistance:

Acknowledge the resistance: Simply noticing that you're resisting can help to reduce its intensity.

Practice self-compassion: Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel discomfort and that you’re doing something courageous by facing your emotions.

Take small steps: If an emotion feels too overwhelming, try sitting with it for just a few minutes at a time. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend with your emotions as you become more comfortable with the practice.

The Gift of Self-Compassion

As you embark on the journey of sitting with your emotions, it’s essential to cultivate self-compassion. Emotional healing isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. There will be times when it feels hard to sit with your feelings, and that’s okay. Be kind to yourself during these moments.

Self-compassion involves treating yourself with the same kindness and care that you would offer a close friend. This means:

Forgiving yourself when you struggle to sit with difficult emotions.

Acknowledging your efforts and celebrating small victories.

Being patient with the healing process—it takes time.

Conclusion: Embrace the Journey of Emotional Healing

Sitting with your emotions is a journey—a powerful act of self-discovery that opens the door to healing, resilience, and emotional wholeness. While it may not always be easy, the rewards are immense. By creating a space of presence and acceptance for your emotions, you’re honouring your inner world and tapping into a wellspring of wisdom and strength.

Start small, be gentle with yourself, and remember that the journey is just as important as the destination. Embrace your emotions, and allow them to guide you towards greater authenticity and peace.

Call to Action:

Take a moment today to practice sitting with your emotions. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths. Notice what you’re feeling—whether it’s tension, joy, sadness, or something in between. Allow yourself to sit with whatever arises, knowing that this simple act of presence is the first step towards emotional. 

Further Resources for Emotional Healing

If you’re looking to deepen your emotional awareness and take practical steps toward emotional regulation, check out my Emotional Regulation Workbook. This resource is designed to help you build skills in managing emotions, improving self-awareness, and finding balance in your daily life.

• Download the Emotional Regulation Workbook

These tools can be valuable companions as you continue your journey toward emotional healing and well-being.

 About the Author 

 I’m Shanna, a registered counsellor, ADHD coach, and Reiki Master Teacher with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. Through my private practice and part-time work at a university, I offer a unique blend of counselling, coaching, and spiritual mentoring. My approach integrates traditional mental health techniques with holistic practices like energy healing, helping individuals manage their emotions, improve focus, and embrace personal growth. I’m passionate about guiding others to sit with their emotions, tap into their inner strength, and find healing on every level—mind, body, and spirit.