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Acknowledging your feelings is the first step in learning how to work through them. If you tend to avoid your feelings, you may notice that this avoidance impacts relationships and can stifle goals.

Learning to acknowledge your emotions takes practice and effort. Often a mental health professional can help you get started. As you begin your journey toward acknowledging your feelings, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

Stay In the Moment

Staying in the moment can be more challenging than it sounds. If you are used to avoiding feelings, you probably push your emotions down without fully noticing that you are doing it.

Stay in the moment and acknowledge what you feel as you feel it. This may feel awkward at first, but you will gain skills and become more naturally in tune with your emotions as time passes.

Keep a Journal 

Write it out. Write out what you are feeling, what the situation was, and who was involved. This can help you to find an outlet and express yourself. Learning to express yourself can take some practice. Writing out what you are experiencing is a great first step.

Create Goals

Goals are amazing motivators. Goals give us something to focus on and push for. Create goals focused on acknowledging your feelings. Keep your goals specific so that you can easily stay on track and work towards better recognizing your emotions.

Practice Self-Expression

Practice makes perfect. Try role-playing with someone you trust. Place yourself in situations that test your ability to open up and express your feelings. This is an amazing way to see how it feels to respond to a situation that includes your true feelings.

Start Small

Start small in acknowledging your feelings. You will probably feel awkward and weird as you begin. You may choose to work with a mental health professional to begin to learn the specific skills and tools that benefit your situation the best. Working with a therapist can help you to get in touch with what you are feeling.

 Many people find themselves avoiding their feelings for a variety of reasons. Learning to acknowledge your feelings is a great skill to have. If you find yourself struggling to acknowledge how you feel, create goals to help you focus and push forward. You may also benefit from roleplay or journaling. Here at The Guest House, we have extensive experience helping people gain the specific skills and tools they need to face challenges and reach goals. Call us today to learn more about our treatment options and how we can support you on your recovery journey at (855) 483-7800.