Keys to Emotional Healing

(Credits: Mikhail Nilov)

Emotional healing is the process of becoming aware, accepting, integrating, and processing painful life experiences and strong emotions. It may require work and dedication, but it will grow into a wholesome version of yourself. Emotional healing may involve empathy, self-regulation, self-compassion, self-acceptance, mindfulness, and integration. Besides medication and therapy, here is a guide to emotional healing. 

Why is it important?

Emotional healing is necessary because we go through all sorts of emotional distress; anxiety, negative self-talk, obsessions, bouts of depression, doubt, sadness. All these emotions create blockages and prevent us from approaching life from a calm and growth mindset. Therefore we may find ourselves in toxic patterns and relationships or unable to manifest what we truly want. 

Listen to yourself

Identifying and articulating your needs is the first step to emotional healing. You must take time and space to reflect on what is essential for being healthy and happy. Once you can verbalise your needs, you will be able to set boundaries, stand up for your values, express yourself, be aligned in your centre and not care about what others might think. 

Reinvent yourself 

We’ve said it earlier; emotional healing isn’t easy because we highlight shortcomings, our negative patterns - basically what we need and want to change. To start emotional healing, you must accept to look deep down into yourself without judgment and be willing to bring CHANGE into your life. Acceptance of who you are now is essential, but you also must believe you can renew yourself.

To love and be loved  

The process of learning to heal our emotional wounds comes with moments of solitude and reflection. These moments of individuality are essential, but it is necessary to transfer this inner knowledge into the world and radiate change with your family and friends when you’re at work. Once you have learned to love yourself for what you are and for what you are about to become, let others give you love as well. Listen and be giving - you will notice more meaningful interactions with others. 

Observe your mind 

Most of the time, what causes emotional distress is not the events in your life but how you perceive them. Learning to observe your mind and the type of thoughts you have or dwell upon is key to emotional healing. When you get a grip on your mind, you can start to identify what thoughts do not serve you, what thoughts trigger toxic patterns, and what thoughts cause you distress. Then, with repetition and courage, you can choose to let go of these thoughts; even if they pop up and they will, they do not have to have control over you - you are the only master of your mind. 

Do not dwell on the past

Our past is part of who we are, but it is not all there is. To move on is to choose growth and reinvention over inertia and passivity. Painful past events or emotions have a way to set us in a mentality of scarcity and regret. We can choose not to let our human tendency of dwelling on the past and focus on the solutions for change.  

Emotional healing is not easy, but it is the only way towards expansion and growth. To heal from our emotional distress is about upgrading our personality: choosing a feature, we want to change and identifying what thoughts and actions align with this intention. After this awareness phase, steps and control over your circumstances will naturally follow, and you will start experiencing genuine emotional health.

You might be interested to read our article about Uncertainty and ways to cope with it.