Every emotion we choose to carry has some sort of weight. Think about the ones you experience every day. Then think about the ones that arise from a situation that’s occurred. They all come in different shapes and sizes, but they all have the power to consume if given the chance. As it’s always been said, too much of anything is a bad thing.

When we allow ourselves to be consumed by one specific emotion, our perspective becomes hazier the longer we remain in that state. Our judgement gets clouded and decision making, either doesn’t exist, or becomes impulsive. We forget about the millions of other emotions that demand to be felt.

“Your emotions make you human. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose. Don’t lock them away. If you ignore them, they just get louder and angrier.”

Sabaa Tahir, A Torch Against the Night

When they’re suppressed and not given the attention they desperately need, they’ll force us to react in ways we won’t like. It’s important to remember how vital it is to create balance amongst our inner workings of the heart because eventually, they’ll start moving their way to reflect on the outside.

Every emotion needs to be analyzed at a certain point. Ask yourself if the emotion you’re carrying right now can be discarded. Here’s the thing, you might be carrying useless weight that’s only getting heavier the longer you hold onto it. Feeling weightless isn’t necessarily the goal because it’s important to keep yourself grounded too but that’s what I mean by balance.

Take the chance of seeing yourself in a different light.

If you’re consumed by one emotion, you’re breaking that balance, allowing it to grow until it becomes too much. If you’re holding onto unproductive emotions, that’s added weight creating a mountain you don’t need. The more you start to remove, the lighter your heart is going to feel. The more you start to analyze, the easier it becomes to manage them.

Emotions have the power to create such a vast ripple effect, if not handled with care, it can be very detrimental to our well-being. It’s essential to study what we feel, why we feel it, what triggers those feelings and the reactions that are surely to follow. An in-depth search can teach us greatly about who we are and even about the parts of us we didn’t know existed. Reflect on your emotions and take the chance of seeing yourself in a different light.