Negative feelings are part of life - even if they are unpleasant and we would prefer to avoid them. Anger, sadness, fear, envy, shame - these are all emotions that we all encounter from time to time, and just like positive feelings, they also have their right to exist. But what can you do if you only have negative thoughts and feelings and feel restricted in your everyday life as a result? How can you bring positive and negative feelings back into balance and learn to deal better with your own emotions? This is exactly what we will look at together here.
Content
1 What are negative feelings anyway?
2 The big question: How do I get rid of negative feelings?
3. everyday practices that can help
What are negative feelings anyway?
Negative feelings are emotions that feel unpleasant and are often associated with stress, pain or inner resistance. They usually arise in situations where things don't go the way you want them to - for example, when boundaries are crossed, you feel insecure or you lose something that is important to you.
These feelings often cost a lot of energy and can be stressful. However, they are not 'wrong' or 'unnecessary', they are an important part of your inner world and help you to protect yourself, reflect and develop personally. However, it becomes potentially problematic when these negative emotions gain the upper hand and positive emotions are barely noticed, if at all.
For clarity, here is a short list of negative feelings and an overview of how they can manifest themselves:
- Anger: Everyone gets angry sometimes. It's not a nice feeling, but if your boundaries are violated or you feel unfairly treated, this emotion can help you to stand up for yourself. However, a problem can arise if you don't know how to control your anger.
- Sadness: There are many things that can make you sad - from the loss of a loved one to more "mundane" things like a disappointment at work. This sadness is there to show you what is really important to you. It also helps you to let go and heal. It only becomes problematic when you can't let go even after a long period of grief and the feeling remains.
- Fear: Fear is a very basic and natural emotion that is incredibly important for us as humans, as it warns us of danger. The protective mechanism makes us cautious, but can also block us if it becomes overpowering.
As you can see, each of these negative emotions also has a positive side. Your aim should therefore not be to get rid of negative feelings, but to learn to understand them and prevent them from dominating your everyday life.
The big question: How do I get rid of negative feelings?
And the short answer: not at all. But that's a good thing, because as we've already established, these feelings are just as important to us as the positive ones. So a better question would be: How do I deal with negative feelings? And there are several answers to this question.
Better able to cope with negative feelings
It is often our instinct to suppress or repress negative feelings, but it is not uncommon for this to only make them come out even more strongly in the end. Because feelings want to be felt.
If you learn to consciously perceive unpleasant emotions without immediately letting yourself get carried away, they lose some of their power. Instead of letting yourself be overwhelmed by anger, sadness or fear, you can take an inner step back and observe what is happening.
Try not to judge yourself. You are not your feelings - you have them. And they will go away. Sometimes it helps to take a deep breath, feel your body or say to yourself: "Okay, this is hard right now. But I can take it."
Talking to people you trust can also provide relief. And sometimes a change of perspective is enough to make the feeling that initially seems so overwhelming a little smaller and more tangible.
Enduring does not mean bearing everything in silence. It means standing by yourself in difficult moments. Lovingly, patiently and honestly and not with self-reproach.
Turn negative feelings into positive ones
Even if it doesn't seem like it at first: There is often a message or an opportunity in negative feelings. The trick is to take a closer look. What is this feeling trying to tell you? What do you really need right now?
For example, if you notice that you are becoming sad out of envy, this can be the impetus to take your own wishes more seriously. Or if you are overwhelmed by anger, there may be a clear "no" behind it that you haven't said before.
By accepting and understanding your feelings, you can consciously change them - not by forcing or sugarcoating them, but by recognizing them. Sometimes all it takes is a small step: gratitude for what is there, a clear decision or the courage to change something.
It's not about being in a good mood all the time. It's about turning what feels difficult into something meaningful and positive.
Learning to deal with negative feelings in a healthy way
Negative feelings are part of life - simply trying to get rid of them doesn't work in the long term. What helps is a conscious, healthy approach to dealing with them.
This means allowing your feelings without letting them overwhelm you. Naming them instead of suppressing them. And finding out what you need in difficult moments - be it rest, exercise, a conversation or simply time.
The better you know yourself, the easier it will be to deal with strong negative feelings. Because you know: they come, but they also go again. And you don't have to be helplessly at their mercy.
Practices in everyday life that can help
There are many small tools that you can use in everyday life to promote the healthy management of your emotions. These include the following practices, for example:
- Meditation: Regular meditation helps you to observe your thoughts and feelings with a little more distance. You learn not to react immediately, but to first notice what is there.
- Yoga: Yoga brings body and mind into harmony through mindful movement and conscious breathing. It can help to reduce inner turmoil and reconnect with yourself.
- Breathing exercises: The breath is a simple but powerful anchor. Just a few conscious, deep breaths or special breathing exercises can reduce stress and bring you back to the here and now.
- Acupressure: By applying gentle pressure to certain points on the body - for example on the hands, feet or face - acupressure can calm the nervous system and release emotional tension. It is easy to use and, thanks to products such as the Shakti acupressure mat, the Shakti acupressure cushions and the Shakti meditation cushion, can be easily integrated into everyday life.
- Talk yourself up: How you talk to yourself makes a difference. Instead of criticizing yourself internally, practice compassion: "It's okay that I'm feeling this way right now." Or: "I can do this, even if it's difficult right now."
- Therapy or coaching: sometimes you need professional support to sort out your feelings and work through underlying issues. This is not a sign of weakness - but of self-care and strength.
These methods do not make negative feelings disappear, but they do make it easier to deal lovingly with what is there.
Conclusion: Dealing better with negative feelings
Negative feelings are not your enemy - they are part of your life and carry important clues. But you don't have to be at their mercy. With mindfulness, self-compassion and the right strategies, you can learn to deal with them better and even use them positively.
The next time you feel like you are being overwhelmed by negative emotions, consciously take time to deal with these feelings and engage in practices that are good for you in that moment - be it a silent meditation, talking to a good friend or an extended yoga session on the Shakti Mat. Embrace your feelings, but understand that they don't control you.