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Words heal
We always think of words that hurt, especially because of arguments š¢. Nevertheless, we quickly forget that confiding can soothe us, and in this case, words set us free. As the psychiatrist Christophe AndrĆ© explains, words have the power to help us, because they can carry not only information but also our emotions. Thatās why I love evenings with my close friends, we confide in each other about our experiences š¬. We free ourselves of weight by doing this. Itās the same as what we do when we go to our psychologist, we transform our pain into words.
š If we feel better after talking, itās because weāve had an āemotional drainā, weāve shared and itās relieved us. Nevertheless, words go beyond connecting to others through speech.
Working on listening to yourself
Indeed, when we talk and put words to our emotions, we look inside ourselves for what we really feel. Itās an exercise that allows us to give a name to the āemotional blurā. Because yes, itās not always easy to manage our emotions and understand them, which is why words can help us in this sense. Itās an in-depth analysis that words push us to do and that we might not do with our internal reflections.
Indeed, even though I always try to do some introspective work to understand myself better, I feel that the exercise of exchanging pushes me to dig a little deeper into the understanding of my emotions. Thatās why I love talking to my friends so much š¤! Especially as afterward, I feel free of weight, and that can be explained by science.
Working on our brains better
Feeling better through words, I know this idea may sound conceptual š§. But it has been verified by science through several studies. Hereās an example of one of the experiments conducted during these studies:
Researchers worked with several arachnophobias. To demonstrate the power of words, they were placed in the same room as a spider in a jar. In both cases, the individuals had to approach the jar, but one group of subjects had to say what they felt, and the other had to force themselves to think about something else. The result? A strong decrease in stress was observed in the subjects who verbalized their fear, unlike the other group who had to focus on other thoughts. |
š Therefore, saying our negative emotions, such as fear, anger, or sadness, reduces the activity of the amygdala, which is the emotional center. By doing this, we instead call on the prefrontal cortex, which is the seat of emotional control. We, therefore, manage to better regulate our feelings and in the case of the experiment, we understand that talking about our fears allows us to face them better šŖ!
Another solution for managing
However, itās not always easy to verbalize our emotions. As much as Iād love to, I donāt see my friends every day. So, how do we express our emotions to feel better on a daily basis? The good news is that the words we say can also be written down šļø!
It was the work of the psychology researcher James Pennebaker that proved the beneficial effects of keeping a diary. Indeed, writing allows us to do the same analytical work as speaking. We go through the same processes and obtain the same results by confiding on paper, which is also called therapeutic writing.
Whatever form we choose, we now know that naming our emotions is an excellent tool for understanding ourselves. Even better, we manage to free ourselves from the emotional cacophony to feel better and happier. So whether itās with our tongue or our hands, letās learn to ver-ba-lize š¤!
Editorās note: Practice!As youāll have understood, expressing what we feel is crucial. Anything we donāt say remains printed on us and can cause serious damage. Itās certainly not always simple, and itās easier for some people than others, depending on their personalities, but the good news is that it can be learned! You need to practice, try, start over and free yourself. If you find it difficult naming your emotions or if you feel bad right now, donāt hesitate to make an appointment with a psychologist. š¤ Understanding yourself, accepting yourself, being happy... Itās here and now! #BornToBeMe |
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