Month: December 2020

Feeling appreciated feels amazingggg, right? You feel seen, like all your hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, people love you, you love them, and you genuinely feel good about what you’ve just done. IT’S JUST A LOVE FEST! Maybe you made an awesome meal for your partner! Maybe your boss or manager said that you’re doing a fucking awesome job at work! Whatever the case is, you probably feel soooooo good right now, and we love that for you.

This positive feedback from people impacts how we view ourselves and starts impacting our sense of self at a very young age. As we get older, we start to crave and thrive off of positive feedback from the people in our lives. When we have positive feedback, our sense of self-worth skyrockets!

So, right now, you’re probably riding high on life and loving yourself. You deserve to feel this absolute loveliness!

A Deeper Look at Feeling Appreciated

It’s kind of rare for us to feel appreciated. We spend so much of our time searching for approval, so when we are given that feeling we’re searching for, UGH IT FEELS SO GOOD. But why do we even want to feel appreciated anyway?

Basically, it gives us a sense of meaning, and we all search for meaning in our lives. Not to get existential, but being appreciated makes us feel like we have a purpose in our lives. Whatever that might be for you, feeling appreciated reinforces the idea that how we’re spending our time is making a difference to other people and ourselves.  

When we feel appreciated by others, we feel a deeper sense of connection with them. Positive vibes foster positive feelings and positive connection. That was just a hippie-dippy trippy way to say that we want to connect more with people who make us feel good.

And honestly, we like being liked. Think about the kind of people that you genuinely like. They might be kind, helpful, honest, caring, or respectful. When we are appreciated, it feels like we are alllll of these wonderful adjectives to someone else too. Who wouldn’t want to be seen as a wonderful human being?

We also feel more motivated when we are appreciated. If you clean your bathroom and your roommate says “Wow! It looks great! Thanks for doing that,” you’ll want to do it again. But if you clean your bathroom and your roommate goes in afterwards, messes it up, and doesn’t say anything about how clean it was or apologize for their mess, you’ll feel less motivated to clean it again in the future. We want our actions to be seen and we want to be praised and thanked for our hard work.

Show Yourself Some Appreciation Too

But it’s important that you feel appreciation towards yourself too! Love yourself a little! Maybe you live alone and the only other living being you interact with is your cat, and they can’t say “Great job on the dishes!” So, it’s important to thank yourself for all your hard work. Take a look around and appreciate what amazing things you’ve done for yourself too and what you’ve accomplished.

How Feeling Appreciated Shows Up Mentally

When you feel appreciated, there can be a bunch of other wonderful emotions that pop up in your head. It’s like your best friend brought along your other best friends to surprise you at brunch or something! They might seem like simple feelings, but they’re powerful! It feels like lovely champagne bubbles in your heart and you feel like you’re on cloud fuckin’ 9: 

• Happy
• Loved
• Seen
• Valued

Who wouldn’t want to feel this way, honestly? You’ve hit the jackpot of emotions with this group of feelings right here. We think that you’re pretty lucky, to be honest, and we kind of super envy you! 

How Feeling Appreciated Shows Up Physically

You might not think that being appreciated can show up in physical ways, but it can! Surpriseeee! It actually has some wonderful benefits for your body. Bet you didn’t think you’d be hearing that sentence today! But it’s totally true. Are you calling us a liar!? Just kidding, but we’ll still prove it to you. Here’s how it shows up in your body:

• You feel gentle
• Your body feels at ease
• You feel relaxed

Okay, it may be a short list, but you can’t tell us that we’re wrong! When you feel relaxed, your body feels great. Your heart rate slows down, and you feel at ease. It’s like you’re getting a massage… kind of. But it’s even better because when you feel appreciated, you feel good about yourself too! 

5 Ways to Keep Feeling Appreciated

It feels so, so good to be appreciated, doesn’t it? Well, we have some strategies for you that will also feel ahhh-mazing! Try ‘em out for yourself and keep those positive vibes rolling. It’s what you deserve, friend!

1. Journal

Write down why you feel so awesome in this particular moment. Savour it! Enjoy it! You can come back to this feeling and this time on days when you might be feeling a bit low. You can also start a gratitude journal to help you feel all the good feelings at this moment. 

2.  Visualize your happy place

What does your happy place look like? Is it a bookshop in a small European town? Is it a coffee shop in New York? What do you see, smell, and hear in this space? Now, add in the feeling of happiness and appreciation that you’re feeling and just enjoy it.

3. Practice gratitude

Be grateful for yourself and what you’ve done for you. You have offered so much time, energy, love, and care in your life and you should take the time to celebrate that by being grateful for what you’ve done.

4.  Connect with a friend

Sometimes it’s nice to just brag to a friend who will be happy for you and want to celebrate this feeling with you! It can help reinforce that amazing feeling of loveliness that you’re experiencing.

5.  Meditate

It can also be nice to sit with this feeling on your own. If you decide to mediate with it, it can be a really wonderful experience to feel that much love and pride within yourself.

How are you feeling? Still riding high on life? Amazing! We know that feeling appreciated can sometimes feel like an elusive emotion, so we are so proud of you and happy that you feel this way today. We also hope that you feel just as amazing tomorrow and every day after that! 

When we feel irritated, we aren’t our usual selves. We’re super on edge. We get upset more easily and it’s like the slightest thing can set us off at any moment. It can make us snappy, rude and hard to be around. Other people might avoid us because of how moody we seem, like we’ll snap if they say one word to us. We might find it hard to accomplish simple tasks because we get easily frustrated and wanna give up when there’s the slightest inconvenience. Sound familiar?

It happens to the best of us. Look, we can’t all be happy rays of fucking sunshine every single day! Sometimes, things just get on our nerves and that’s okay. But if we let this emotion control us, we might take it out on others who don’t deserve it. It can also create a lot of problems in so many areas of our lives if we don’t get it under control. But don’t worry, that’s why we’re here! Let’s talk about feeling irritated and how you can cope with this emotion.

A Deeper Look at Feeling Irritated

APA Dictionary defines irritability as: “n. a state of excessive, easily provoked anger, annoyance, or impatience.” Yeppp, that checks out.

Feeling irritable is a normal human emotion that everyone goes through sometimes. It doesn’t make us bad people, though. ‘Cause guess what? We all have bad days! And sometimes, we might just feel like we woke up on the wrong side of the bed. We might want to be left alone to work through this feeling and cool off. There might not be a clear reason we feel irritated, but we’re in a bad mood anyway.

What Contributes?

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to our irritability. Stress can make us super irritable, especially when it’s been built up over time and we’ve tried to suppress it. It could be work-related stress, relationship stress, school stress, you name it. Alllll the stress! Eventually, the stress becomes too much and we lash out at other people, even when we don’t really mean it. If we don’t learn the best ways to manage our stress, our irritability can become out of control! And nobody wants that, especially when it can impact your relationships and make life harder than it needs to be.

Sometimes, the cause of irritability is pretty simple. Are you hungry? Not getting enough sleep? Lacking in the self care department? Those are easy fixes for the most part. It’s important to take the time to find the cause of your irritability so that you can move past it and get back to living your best life! You might think it’s your annoying neighbour who listens to their music too loud, or your mom who texts you constantly with family updates that you don’t wanna hear about. Life is full of small annoyances, and your feelings are totally valid. But check in with yourself and reflect on what the real root of your irritability is, ‘cause you probably have some idea. Like we said, it could be stress. Or you could just be hangry! You know yourself better than anyone. It’s okay to prioritize yourself and look after #1: you.

How Feeling Irritated Shows Up Mentally

Feeling irritated can affect our mental wellbeing in negative ways. Yep, more than just simply feeling annoyed! It ends up being a little poopy party in our minds that goes on forevveerrrr! And by the end of this shitty party, we end up feeling even more irritated than before. Here’s a few signs you could notice:

• Anger
• Frustration
• Confusion
• Difficulty focusing
• Impatience
• Fatigue

If these mental symptoms continue, it could be a sign of mental disorders or illness including anxiety, depression and bipolar disorder. Irritability can also be a side effect of some medications. It’s always a good idea to seek medical attention if these symptoms persist and start to seriously harm your mental wellbeing.

How Feeling Irritated Shows Up Physically

When we feel irritated, our body shows signs. You might be trying to hide your irritation from others, and you may or may not be doing a good job at it. BUT what you can’t hide it from is your body. Yep! You heard that right. Here are some you might experience when your irritability is off the charts (and not in a good way):

• Sweating
• Increased heart rate
• Fast breathing
• Low blood sugar
• Hormonal changes

But sometimes the irritation isn’t your fault at all. If your irritability is caused by a hormone imbalance, here’s a few more physical signs you may notice:

• Headache
• Fever
• Hair loss
• Hot flashes
• Irregular menstrual cycles or menopause

If these physical signs continue, it’s important to seek medical attention. They could be indicators of larger health issues, so don’t ignore what your body is telling you!

5 Ways to Cope with Feeling Irritated

It can be hard to cope with feeling irritated, but don’t worry. We’re here for you! And we have some simple yet effective coping strategies for you whenever you’re feeling on edge. Try ‘em out!

1. Practice meditation

Meditation is a method that’s been used to relieve stress and improve mental clarity since, like… forever. This practice allows us to slowww down and shift our mindset. If you’re not sure how to meditate, start out with a guided practice. Hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere!

2. Progressive muscle relaxation

When you’re feeling irritated, it can be hard to calm tf down and reduce your anxiety levels. This is a helpful technique for reducing stress that involves tensing a group of muscles as you breathe in, and then relaxing them while you breathe out. Repeat as needed!

3. Journal

Wanna gain some clarity and insight into your feelings while also releasing some of the stress you’re harbouring? Well, look no further! Writing in a journal is a 10/10 excellent way to better understand your thoughts and reframe the negative ones.

4. Reach out for support

Sometimes when we feel crabby, the last thing we want to do is be around other people. But having someone to listen to us and validate how we’re feeling makes all the difference! So go ahead and have a lil’ vent sesh with someone you can count on.

5. Find a positive distraction

When you’re feeling irritated, it can be helpful to focus on something else for a bit. Watch an episode of a show that never fails to make you laugh. Clean out your closet. Listen to a podcast or playlist of your favourite songs. Paint, do a puzzle, whatever you like! Choose something you know will be a guaranteed stress-reliever and mood-booster.

That’s all for now, friend! It might seem hard when you’re having an off day, but we know you can get through this feeling like a champ.

When we feel hurt, it can obviously be a really painful experience. It can feel like a punch to the gut, or a knife in the heart (safe to say neither of those are enjoyable). We might replay what has caused us to hurt over and over again in our minds, which can make it hard to move on from this feeling. We might try to hide away and disappear off the face of the earth so that nobody will see how much we’re suffering. Instead, we bottle up this feeling inside and repress it as much as possible. Onlyyy it doesn’t help, does it? The hurt is still there, dragging us down into a deep pit of sadness until we finally address what we’re truly feeling.

It’s just like the REM song says: Everybody hurts. Nobody (we repeat: NOBODY) is immune to getting their feelings hurt! Even the people who seem confident and happy most of the time. Feeling hurt sucks, but knowing we’re not the only ones who experience this feeling kinda makes it suck less. Plus, we’re here to help you get through your hurt feelings, so stick around!

A Deeper Look at Feeling Hurt

Feeling hurt actually has a few different names. There’s psychic pain, spiritual pain, psychalgia, emotional suffering, psychological pain, algopsychalia, soul pain, or mental pain. Phew, that’s a lot! But one of the most common titles is emotional distress.

Emotional distress or pain is caused by non-physical sources. It’s not the kinda pain you feel when you stub your toe or burn your tongue when you take a sip of piping hot coffee (ouch!). Feeling hurt can be caused by other emotions that you’ve avoided dealing with including anger, sadness, shame, guilt and anxiety.

We can feel hurt when our partner forgets our birthday because it feels like they don’t care enough to remember. Or when a parent criticizes your choice of major even though you are really passionate about your education, and you want them to be proud of you. It can be hurtful when we put a lot of hours into a project at work, and your boss doesn’t show you any recognition or appreciation for all of your effort. The thing is, our hurt feelings come from hurt thoughts. It’s important to dig deeper and ask why something makes us feel hurt. Are the negative thoughts we’re having based in reality, or are we feeling hurt based on personal assumptions?

This doesn’t mean that your feelings aren’t valid or that you haven’t been mistreated. If your partner forgets your birthday, they should absolutely apologize and make it up to you! But it could be that they’ve had a lot on their mind, have been dealing with stress, and they made a mistake. Take the time to recognize the difference in order to protect your heart and look after your mental wellbeing!

How Feeling Hurt Shows Up Mentally

When we feel hurt, it affects our mental wellbeing in lots of ways. Sometimes it appears as a Johnny Cash song, and sometimes it pops up as an emotion. Unfortunately, we aren’t experts on Johnny Cash, but we DO know how to talk about emotions. So, let’s talk about how the emotional hurt shows up. Here’s what you might experience mentally when you’re going through hurt:

• Feeling overwhelmed, helpless, or hopeless
• Feeling guilty without a reason
• Worrying excessively
• Difficulty concentrating or remembering
• Become hostile and irritable
• Difficulty keeping up with daily tasks
• Withdrawing socially

We’re going to state the obvious here and say that hurt is suuuper painful. We don’t blame you for feeling the way that you do! It’s totally normal and completely valid. Remember that!

How Feeling Hurt Shows Up Physically

Like we said, feeling hurt can actually give us physical reactions to the pain we’re experiencing. It’s not just all in our heads like we think it might be! Mental pain can easily translate to the body in a number of different ways that you might not have known about before! 

Our bodies are more sensitive than we give them credit for. They feel what happens in our mind and interpret it like it’s actually happening to our physical selves. Here’s a few signs you might notice if you’re hurting mentally:

• Headaches
• New, unexplained pain
• Changes in appetite
• Stomachache/gastrointestinal issues
• Fatigue
• Sleeping too much or too little
• Relying on mood-altering substances like alcohol

These symptoms can also be a sign of an underlying mental health condition including anxiety or depression. If you continue to experience these symptoms, please seek professional help.

5 Ways to Cope with Feeling Hurt

Okay, so you’re hurt. It sucks a lot right now, but we know you can get through it! In fact, we have some coping strategies for you. Give ‘em a go and see how much better you’ll feel!

1. Journal

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: journaling is an underrated practice. Write down exactly how you’re feeling, even the dark and twisty thoughts you don’t wanna confront. That way, you can gain the clarity to reframe and counter those negative thoughts. Your hand might start to cramp, but we swear you’ll feel sooo much better!

2. Reach out for support

Just like the Beatles song goes: I get by with a little help from my friends! Reach out to someone you can trust and who will be there for you. You might feel inferior now, but it doesn’t mean you have to navigate it alone! Get all of those negative feelings off your chest. Having someone there to validate our feelings can be so helpful!

3. Engage in something soothing or comforting

When you’re feeling hurt, it’s safe to say you could use a little healing. Spend time with your pet by cuddling them or taking them on a walk. Touch something comforting like your fave cozy blanket. Brew some tea or your drink of choice. Do whatever makes you feel calm, safe and happy!

4. Give yourself a pep talk

It’s hard not to fixate over what is causing us to hurt. Sometimes, we gotta give ourselves a little pep talk in order to turn those negative thoughts around. Try saying some encouraging phrases to yourself out loud: I feel hurt right now but I can move on. I’ve gotten through hurt before. I’m gonna be okay. 

5. Comfort yourself like a friend

If you don’t have anyone who can be there for you at this moment, that’s okay. You can be there for yourself! Think about how you would want a loved one to comfort you in this moment. Give yourself a pat on the back, write a list of the things you like about yourself, and reflect on your accomplishments. Be the friend you need right now!

There you go! It’s hard to get past your hurt feelings, but we know you can do it. We hope this has helped you so that you can move on and feel your best again! We’re here for you, friend.

We all get scared sometimes. When something happens suddenly and unexpectedly, it can send us into a panic. It might feel like you’re frozen by this feeling. You can’t think, function or act rationally. Maybe you’re home alone and you think you hear the sound of a door closing (creepy AF!). Or your dog gets loose from the backyard so you’re running around the neighbourhood, hoping to bring them home safe and sound. It could be that you’re standing on the diving board at the pool with your friends cheering you on, but you all of a sudden you’re feeling scared so you freeze up and it’s like you forgot how to jump. You’re trapped in a state of fear and you don’t know how to get out!

Don’t worry, we’re here for you! Everyone gets scared, even the strongest people you know. In fact, we think it takes a lot of strength to recognize how you’re feeling! So let’s navigate how to overcome feeling scared, together.

A Deeper Look at Feeling Scared

When we feel scared, we’re in a state of fear, panic, or nervousness which can really shake us up. Our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode in order to protect us from any potential threats. Either face the danger head on (fight), get the hell outta there and save our asses (flight), or just straight up freeze!.

We can get scared for lots of reasons, and none of them make us weak or childish. It can be something as innocent as visiting a haunted house on Halloween or watching a horror movie with a ton of jump scares. Or it could be something that’s actually threatening to our safety, like getting in a car accident or falling down a flight of stairs. We can experience scary moments in our personal relationships if a loved one has a medical emergency or is very sick. Panic can set in when we realize we’ve made a huge error, like sending a text to the wrong person that they were NOT meant to see. That rush of fear, dread, and oh shit feeling is our brain’s way of telling us something bad might happen or is currently happening.

The shitty side to feeling scared is that we can’t always control the situation we’re in. Our minds and bodies respond to fear, whether we can actually escape the fear or not. You can exit a haunted house any time you feel like it’s too scary, or step down from the diving board if we don’t wanna jump. But feeling scared for the health and safety of our loved ones, dealing with the consequences of a big mess up, and handling other traumatic events like a natural disaster are all things that we can learn to get through. 

How Feeling Scared Shows Up Mentally

Feeling scared can overwhelm your mind and make it hard to think rationally or clearly. Your brain is trying to process so many things at one time and it can kind of short circuit. It goes right into caveman mode – just trying its best to get us out of the danger it’s sensing. It can be a pretty debilitating emotion to experience. Here’s a few other ways feeling scared can affect you mentally:

• Intrusive, distracting thoughts
• Unable to focus
• Feelings of panic
• Nervousness
• Confusion
• Numbness
• Despair
• Helplessness

Being scared is the opposite of a good time. It can be terrifying feeling stuck in such a scary space! And it can be extra frustrating if you aren’t able to focus long enough to help yourself exit this mental state. Maybe you can fight fire with fire and try to scare the “scaredness” out of your brain by dressing up as a ghost and yelling “BOO!” at yourself in the mirror. It’s worth a shot!

How Feeling Fearful Shows Up Physically

When you feel scared, your body can react in many ways. Your body thinks that there is danger nearby and is trying to protect you by releasing a BUNCH of different hormones that have you on high alert. Here are a few physical symptoms that you might experience (and no, they don’t mean you’re a scaredy cat):

• Increased heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Trembling
• Sweating
• Chills
• Nausea
• Chest pain
• Upset stomach
• Dry mouth

Don’t be too afraid if you end up having some of these symptoms. But if you think that you’re in immediate danger, obviously please call 911 or go to the hospital. We want to make sure that above all, you’re being a safe little anxious bean. 

5 Ways to Cope with Feeling Scared

We know that telling you: Don’t be scared! isn’t exactly a helpful tip. So instead, we have some coping strategies for you to help you navigate this emotion! They’re easy, effective and not at all scary. We pinky promise!

1. Engage in something soothing and comforting

When you feel scared, try something that soothes and calms your nerves. Spend time with your pet by cuddling them or taking them on a walk. Touch something comforting like your fave cozy blanket. Brew some tea or your drink of choice. Do whatever helps you feel safe and relaxed!

2. Practice meditation

Meditation is a method that’s been used to relieve stress and improve mental clarity since, like… forever. This practice allows us to slowww down and shift our mindset. Sounds like something you could really use when you’re feeling scared! If you’re not sure how to meditate, start out with a guided practice.

3. Reach out for support

You might feel scared, but you don’t have to feel alone. So reach out to someone you can trust and confide in. They’ll be there for you, comfort you and validate all of your feelings. Having their support will make your feelings feel way less… well, scary! It’ll feel like a weight off your shoulders, guaranteed.

4. Comfort yourself like a friend

On the flip side, if you don’t have someone who can be there for you right now, that’s okay! Comfort yourself and be the friend that you need. Give yourself a pat on the back, snack on your favourite junk food and take some time for YOU. Remind yourself that you’ll get through this, and that everything will be okay.

5. Practice deep breathing

Okay, try it with us… Breathe innn. Breathe outtt. Taking a moment to focus on your breathing has actually been proven to lower anxiety and reduce stress. Plus, deep breathing slows your heart rate and provides your brain with enough oxygen to chill out. It’s like pressing a reset button!

Our emotions can be scary, we know. We hope this has helped you understand your scared feelings a bit better and put you on the right track to overcome them! Oh, and remember: your feelings are valid, always.

When we look back fondly on the memories that mean a lot to us, we start feeling sentimental. Whether it’s looking through old photographs, listening to certain albums or watching one of your favourite movies, it can bring back a LOT of different emotions. Especially around the holidays when you’re surrounded by loved ones, and your relatives start retelling stories you’ve heard about a million times! But reflecting on those memories sure makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside, doesn’t it? Feeling sentimental can give you a sense of belonging and make you feel a strong connection to people, a place, or an experience. This is something we all feel from time to time!

Our lives are made up of so many moments, and cherishing those moments can be a really positive thing! Life experiences, no matter how big or small, are what makes us the people we are. Maybe that’s why we love to look back on them so fondly! So let’s dive thru what it means to feel sentimental and how it affects our wellbeing.

A Deeper Look at Feeling Sentimental

What does it mean to feel sentimental? Dictionary.com defines sentimental as: “adj. expressive of or appealing to sentiment, especially the tender emotions and feelings, as love, pity, or nostalgia.” Yeppp, when you reflect on a past memory that makes your heart ache but in a good way? That’s feeling sentimental.

There are lots of things that can spark sentimental feelings or nostalgia. You could be driving and listening to the radio when a certain song comes on that brings back the same feeling you had when you heard it for the first time. Or looking through family photo albums and seeing pictures from your childhood that make you smile. Noticing your diploma framed on the wall can make you feel a bit sentimental for your college days whenever you pass it by in the hallway. 

Maybe you save tickets from every concert you’ve ever attended because you treasure those experiences. Spending holidays with loved ones can be a really sentimental time for a lot of people, especially when there are traditions involved like decorating the Christmas tree. All of these things can bring back allll the feels, and it’s pretty great!

This feeling can make us feel connected and less alone. We might want to hold on to certain items to evoke that feeling and provide a sense of comfort or calm when we really need it. Like when your partner is away on a trip, so you wear their hoodie because it smells like them. Or re-reading old birthday cards from your grandparents, because they take the time to remind you how loved you are. Sentimental items are great for counteracting negative emotions, and they bring us a sense of peace.

Feeling sentimental can also be bittersweet. Even when the memories are positive, like watching home videos of family vacations during your childhood, it can also bring a pang of sadness. Maybe you’re feeling sentimental for a time when one of your loved ones was still around and you miss them a lot. FYI: that’s normal. It’s okay to feel a wide range of emotions when you think about the past. No matter what, your feelings are valid!

How Feeling Sentimental Shows Up Mentally

Looking back on the past can bring on a ton of feels. Like, the kinda feels that make you wanna laugh and cry at the same time because they make you sad that you’re not back doing what you’re reminiscing about and *gasps for air* ya… You just end up feeling a lot of things. 

But besides talking in long, run-on sentences, feeling sentimental can actually show up in a lot of different ways. Here’s some ways feeling sentimental can impact our mental wellbeing:

• Calming feeling
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Combats negative emotions and thoughts
• Boosts self-esteem
• Increases optimism
• Sparks creativity
• Promotes gratitude and acts of kindness
• Improves personal connections/bonding

Sharing stories with your friends and loved ones is a great way to reconnect after being apart. Now we’re kind of understanding why our parents would just reminisce about the old days with their friends. It’s so fun! 

How Feeling Sentimental Shows Up Physically

The rush of feelings you get when you look back fondly on old memories can benefit your mental wellbeing. But they can also provide some physical benefits! Yaaaaa, you might wanna cry but THAT’S THE PRICE YOU PAY! Just kidding… but only kind of!

There aren’t really any downsides to feeling sentimental. Wanna know why? Because it helps benefit your body too! Yep, you heard that right. There are benefits to feeling this way! Here’s a few you might experience when you’re in your sentimental feels:

• Boosts immune system
• Reduces stress and anxiety
• Fights pain
• Promotes longevity
• Increases motivation

Also, sometimes it just feel really fucking good to have a happy cry! It releases tension from your body that you didn’t know that you had. See? Even more benefits than we thought! 

5 Ways to Acknowledge Your Sentimental Feelings

Feeling sentimental can be great for reflection and appreciating memories. We want to help you keep the good feelings going but giving you some tips on how to cultivate this feeling of sentimentality. Here’s some fun things you can do when you feel sentimental!

1. Engage in compassionate self talk

When you’re feeling sentimental, you might be feeling really nostalgic for a certain time in your life. Maybe there’s loved ones who you really miss, or a past relationship that brings up a lot of different emotions when you reflect on it. Remind yourself that it’s okay to get a lil’ emotional as you reminisce on the past! Don’t forget to be kind to yourself.

2. Reach out for support or connect with a friend

Leaning on our support group? Having our feelings validated? That’s a must! Feeling sentimental can bring back a lot of emotions, so reach out to the people you can trust to be there for you! We’re all about talking through our feelings here.

3. Engage in something soothing or comforting

Spend time with your pet by cuddling them or taking them on a walk. Touch something comforting like your fave cozy blanket. Brew some tea or your drink of choice. Do whatever makes you feel calm and safe!

4. Do something creative

Use your favourite creative outlet to channel those sentimental feelings. Get artsy by drawing, sketching, doing calligraphy or painting. Write poems or try blog writing. Practice an instrument, sing, dance! Feeling sentimental can really inspire you to create something amazing, and the possibilities are endless. Give it a go!

5. Journal

Try writing out exactly how you’re feeling and what made you feel this way. Was it a photograph that sparked a certain memory? Or coming across your favourite stuffed animal from your childhood tucked away in your closet? Take the time to describe the memories that sparked and how those memories have impacted your life. Your hand might start to cramp, but hey! It’s worth it.

That’s all for now, you sentimental saps. We hope you take the time to appreciate old memories and make some new ones! ‘Cause that’s what being human is all about.

Ahhh, love. It’s the feeling that inspires all of the best love songs we sing along to in the car. It gives movies their happy ending when the main characters finally beat the odds and confess their feelings for each other. Love is what makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside when we spend time with the people we care about the most in the whole world. When you’re feeling loving (towards anything or anyone), you’re basically floating.

It’s the affection you feel when your pet curls up on your lap, making your heart melt into a puddle of mush. It’s the rush of excitement you get after a great date, and the giddy feeling when you tell your friends all about it. It’s the warmth in your heart when you spend time with your loved ones over the holidays. Even though they can drive you bananas a lot of the time, you just feel more complete with them around. Sooo yeah, it’s safe to say that loving is one of the best feelings, hands down!

Wait! Before you click out of this article to go watch your favourite rom-com, let’s talk a lil’ more about feeling loving. If there’s anything we l-o-v-e more than love itself, it’s diving thru all of our feels!

A Deeper Look at Feeling Loving

What does it mean when we’re feeling loving? Dictionary.com defines loving as: “feeling or showing love; warmly affectionate; fond.” Basically, it’s when you wanna shout from the rooftops: I’M IN LOOOVE! Or when you get a cute AF voicemail from your grandparents and you immediately call them back because they’re adorable. The feeling of love just makes you wanna spread that good feelin’ around by showing lots of affection to the ones we adore. Awww, that’s the cutest.

Psychologist Robert Sternberg has a theory about love: it has three components that form a love triangle (not the kinda love triangle you see on CW shows). Here’s the three components of love according to Dr. Sternberg:

Intimacy (feeling close, connected, bonded)

Passion (physical attraction and romance)

Decision/commitment (remaining with someone and working towards shared goals)

The Different Types of Love

There’s also different types of love which can stem from any combination of the love triad (except complete absence of the three components is considered ‘non-love’). These are the seven types of love experiences based on the theory above:

• Friendship

There’s intimacy and closeness, but no passion or romance here! Friendship can of course lead to other forms of love down the road, though.

• Infatuation

Initial feelings of lust and physical passion are here, buuut commitment is lacking. There hasn’t been enough time yet to develop deeper feelings of romance or intimacy… yet! A stronger connection can still grow.

• Empty Love

Think commitment, without any passion or intimacy. Sometimes strong love can fade over time into empty love. But the opposite does happen, too! 

• Romantic Love

This is an emotional bond of intimacy and physical passion. There are strong feelings here for sure, but long-term commitment or future plans might still be undecided. 

• Companionate Love

A type of love that is intimate, but not passionate. There’s a strong bond or commitment that lacks physical desire, or desire that has fizzled out over time. This could also be seen as love between close friends or family members.

• Fatuous Love

There’s commitment and passion, but a lack of intimacy. This is usually seen in whirlwind relationships, like when a couple jumps into commitment super fast before really knowing each other.

• Consummate Love

This type of love has all three components of the love triangle: intimacy, passion, and commitment. It represents the ideal relationship we all want! It’s long lasting, overcomes obstacles and never fades. Truly rom-com perfection. *chef’s kiss*

Wow, who knew there were so many different ways to show love?!

How Feeling Loving Shows Up Mentally

Must be love on the braaaiiin! 

Ok, so we’ve established that you’re in love. Whether you’re loving your family, friends, partner, or just so obsessed with your pet, your brain has the same chemical reaction each time. Feeling love releases the neurotransmitter in the brain called dopamine, which is associated with reward and pleasure. Basically, when you think of the person you love, dopamine is released and it makes you super excited to see them. When you actually do get to spend time with your loved one, you get more hits of dopamine as a reward. 

This is obviously why we wanna spend time with the people we love! ‘Cause it makes us feel good to have them by our side. Another love hormone we experience is oxytocin which makes us feel trust, safety and attached to our loved ones. 

Now that we’ve told you about WHICH chemicals in your brain make you feel good, let’s talk about HOW they make you feel:

• Euphoria
• Happiness
• Infatuation
• Excitement
• Nervousness
• Attraction/lust

Oooooo how wonderful (and kinda sexy tbh). Love is such a fun and exciting feeling that we just can’t get enough of it! 

How Feeling Loving Shows Up Physically

But wait, there’s more! There are actually some awesome benefits to this loving feeling! You might think that love lives just in the heart, but think again. Your body feels it too and there are some amazing health benefits to love. Here are some positive impacts that feeling loving can have on your overall physical health:

• Reduced stress
• Lower blood pressure
• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Boosts immune system
• Quicker recovery from illness
• Longer life span
• Pain relief

Ok, we knew that love was a good thing, but we didn’t always know it was THIS good for us! We don’t know about you, but we’re gonna go love something. Oh wait, but first we have to finish this article together!

5 Ways to Appreciate Your Loving Feelings

Sooo, you’re feeling loving, affectionate, warmhearted, etc. Now what? Ya, we could leave you to your own devices, but that doesn’t seem fair. You’re reading this article for a reason, and we’re gonna give you what you came for, dammit! We want to help you continue the good vibrations in your heart with these tips and tricks.   

1. Journal

Journaling our thoughts and feelings is one of the best forms of self-care, in our opinion. Try putting your emotions down in words, and explore what has made you feel this way. Fair warning: hand cramping might occur if you get carried away!

2. Engage in compassionate self talk

In the famous words of RuPaul: If you can’t love yourself, how the hell are you gonna love somebody else?! It’s pretty great to show yourself some love, too. Try to say some things you love about yourself out loud. You deserve to hear it, even if it feels silly!

3. Practice meditation

Meditation is a method that’s been used to relieve stress and improve mental clarity since, like… forever. This practice allows us to slowww down and shift our mindset. If you’re currently in a loving state, meditation will only elevate that inner peace. If you’re not sure how to meditate, start out with a guided practice. Hey, everyone’s gotta start somewhere!

4. Practice gratitude

Seek out all of the positive things in your life, take notice and show appreciation. Thank the people in your life who make it better by showing acts of kindness! Passing along the good vibes you’re experiencing will feel 10/10 amazing.

5. Connect with a friend

It feels good to spread the love, so reach out to a friend or loved one! Have a great chat or spend some quality time. Maybe they could use some TLC right about now!

There you have it, lovebirds. Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoyed our tips and continue to feel alllll the good feelings. P.S. We <3 you!

When we’re feeling thoughtful, we tend to go out of our own way to do selfless acts for others — so thoughtful can be a really great feeling not only for ourselves, but the people around us. This could include small acts of kindness, like paying for a stranger’s order at the drive thru or leaving a thoughtful sticky note on our roommate’s mirror wishing them good luck on their exam. Maybe for you, it involves volunteering in a  seniors’ home and visiting with the residents who are often pretty lonely, or helping out at an animal shelter. No matter how big or small the gesture, your thoughtful acts will mean a lot to whoever is on the receiving end!

There are times when we might not even know where to start when we’re feeling thoughtful! Honestly, not having a lot of time or money can be discouraging if you want to make a meaningful contribution to another person’s day or help them out. But we’re here to tell you that it’s okay! You don’t have to have endless hours in a day or be really well-off to act thoughtfully. Let’s talk about feeling thoughtful and how it makes everyone (you included!) feel 100% better.

A Deeper Look at Feeling Thoughtful

Sooo, what does it really mean to feel thoughtful? Well, Merriam-Webster defines thoughtful as: “adj. given to or made with heedful anticipation of the needs and happiness of others.” Okay cool, let’s give a ‘lil more context!

Being thoughtful is more than just being a nice person. Most of us can be friendly or pleasant to the people around us without putting in a lot of effort. When someone smiles as they walk past us, we tend to automatically smile back without thinking. We can use our good manners to thank someone holding a door for us, or to thank a server that is bringing our meal at a restaurant. These are the kind of gestures that are ingrained in us from when we’re little humans learning how to be polite. But thoughtfulness takes common courtesy to the next level! It requires a little more…well, thought!

Feeling thoughtful means we pay attention to someone else’s needs. We have taken notice of where they are struggling or could use some extra help. Maybe we anticipated what would make their day easier, or even just bring a smile to their face. We have taken the time to attend to their needs in a personal, respectful and meaningful way.

How Do We Show This Feeling?

This could look like a lot of different things, depending on the person and situation! Maybe your friend has been putting off going to the mechanic because they’ve been really strapped for time, so you step in and offer to change their oil. Or your sibling could really use some quality time with their partner, and you offer to babysit their kids for the day. It could be that you’ve noticed your coworker has been really stressed, so you leave their favourite Starbucks drink on their desk first thing in the morning to make their day a bit better.

It feels really good to pay it forward, no matter how big or small. Here are a few more ways (that are simple but mean a lot!) to act thoughtfully:

• Give compliments
• Practice active listening
• Pay attention to others’ needs
• Volunteer in your community
• Help out with errands/chores
• Call or text someone to check in
• Gift something meaningful

How Feeling Thoughtful Shows Up Mentally

We don’t have enough fingers and toes to count all the benefits that feeling thoughtful has for your mental health. By doing acts of kindness and being more thoughtful, it actually releases dopamine and serotonin which gives us a “helper’s high.” Here are a few ways that it shows up mentally:

• Boosts mood
• Increases happiness
• Strengthens social connection
• Improves levels of trust
• Promotes positive thoughts and outlook on life

We were all taught that being a thoughtful human was good for the world. Now we know that it has awesome mental health benefits too! We also love that it promotes connection between you and other people. 

How Feeling Thoughtful Shows Up Physically

Being thoughtful also has physical benefits! Yep, you heard that right. So we guess that it REALLY pays off to be nice! We hope that you would’ve been thoughtful before, but now you have a great reason! Here’s a whole list of them, friend:

• Increases energy
• Lowers stress and anxiety
• Reduces pain by releasing endorphins
• Lowers blood pressure
• Lengthens lifespan

We know that you’re already reaping your rewards by reading this article (because you’re a thoughtful person!). So good on ya! You’re lengthening your lifespan one good deed at a time. Immortality anyone?

5 Ways to Appreciate Feeling Thoughtful

We’ve given you some insight into what feeling thoughtful really means and how you can be more aware and direct with your thoughtfulness towards others. But what about YOU? Yes, you. Here some ways you can appreciate feeling thoughtful by making some time for yourself:

1. Journal

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: journaling is an underrated practice. So when you’re feeling thoughtful, write about it! Describe the ways you wanna act more thoughtfully and make a positive impact in someone’s life. It’ll give a clearer picture in your mind of your priorities and how you can start spreading kindness!

2. Do something creative

Use your favourite creative outlet to channel those thoughtful feelings. Get artsy by drawing, sketching, doing calligraphy or painting. Write poems or try blog writing. Practice an instrument, sing, dance! Feeling sentimental can really inspire you to create something amazing, and the possibilities are endless. Then, you can share your work with someone else!

3. Connect with a friend

Our true friends are there for us when we need them most by making our day a little brighter. So why not connect with a friend and pass on the good vibes you’re feeling?! Ask to go out for a coffee, a nice stroll in the park, or even FaceTime just to catch up. Spending time with our friends is a great way to maintain our good spirits!

4. Practice deep breathing

Try it with us: breathe innn… and breathe outtt. Taking a moment to focus on your breathing has actually been proven to lower anxiety and reduce stress. Plus, deep breathing slows your heart rate and provides your brain with enough oxygen to chill out a bit and collect your thoughts. As you’re breathing, focus on this feeling of thoughtfulness.

5. Practice gratitude

Be intentional about seeking out all of the positive things in your life. Take notice of them and show appreciation. Thank the people in your life who make it better through those acts of kindness we talked about! It feels great to pass along the good vibes.

There you have it. Keep on being the thoughtful human that you are because we promise that it doesn’t go unnoticed! 

You have a beautiful life, a roof over your head, people who love you, and successes that you should be proud of. And yet, there is a nasty little voice that keeps telling you that even though you have all of these wonderful things, you aren’t good enough. Super rude, right?! Maybe you feel like your life should look a certain way, or that you should be making a specific amount of money. Maybe you just feel like your situation at this moment isn’t what it should be. And that emotion right there, when you’re feeling inadequate, SUCKS.

Your mind is full of these “shoulds,” and there could be a MILLION little reasons why you feel this way. Maybe you had a super successful parent or sibling that you can’t stop comparing yourself to. Maybe social media makes you feel like shit. It totally depends on your own life and your unique experiences! But whatever these experiences are, they’ve clearly stuck with you. They’ve impacted you so much that what you have, what you’ve done, and who you are still isn’t enough.

We’re really sorry that you feel this way! We totally know what it feels like to always want to do more and be better, and at the end of the day still feel like it isn’t enough or worthy of celebration. So, take a deep breath, tell yourself “I love you,” and let’s get to talking about inadequacy!

A Deeper Look at Feeling Inadequate

Feeling inadequate can often come from childhood experiences. They shape us and impact how we view ourselves as we step into adulthood. Like we mentioned, this might come from having someone influential in your life who seemed to achieve literally anything they set their mind to. Or maybe you had someone in your life telling you that what you had done, no matter how hard you worked, wasn’t enough. For example, if you got a 96% on a test and you brought it home to show your parents, you might have been met with a “Where’s the other 4%?” 

As we get older, we become exposed to things in our lives that make this feeling of inadequacy pop up over and over again. We criticize our bodies and compare them to models, bodybuilders, and people with millions of dollars who can afford to pay doctors to help them look this way — not to mention Facetune and Photoshop, making these images look even more perfect. 

We are also exposed to other people’s opinions of us more and more. One of the culprits is social media, where it’s easy to receive unwelcome, unprompted, and unhelpful opinions. Maybe you’re part of a parenting group on Facebook and you post a picture of your kid opening a present for their birthday. You posted this picture because you thought it was cute and that the other parents would enjoy it, but instead, you’re met with ridicule and criticism for your parenting choices. You get obnoxious comments like “You know Barbies aren’t for boys, right?” and “Wow, should’ve gotten him a football instead so he can learn early.” Even though you know you did the right thing, these comments still eat away at you.

Feeling inadequate makes us think that an ideal version of ourselves exists that we have to reach in order to feel accomplished and satisfied. Is this version realistic? Yes and no. 

Yes because you could potentially get to a place where everyyyything in your life is perfect — you have all the fame, fortune, and accomplishments that you imagined! And no, because there is still a chance that you will feel unhappy. Why? Because of this internalized emotional factor you may be carrying that is popping up as a feeling of  inadequacy.

How Feeling Inadequate Shows Up Mentally

When we feel inadequate, it can bring up a lot of different emotions and mental habits with it. We start to doubt our abilities, our identity, and so much more. Unhelpful (and let’s be honest, RUDE) thoughts just seem to never want to leave us alone long enough for us to become confident in ourselves and our abilities. 

But you aren’t alone in feeling this way. So many of us struggle with being nice to ourselves! It seems like such a simple concept, but it’s a hard thing to master. Here are some of the ways feelings of inadequacy pop up in our minds: 

– Imposter syndrome

– Negative self talk

– Feelings of shame

– Self-criticism

– Comparing yourself to others

Ok, ya comparing yourself to others is an absolutely natural thing for us to do, but we don’t want you to do it so much that it impacts your mental health. That’s why we’re here to help you! You’re a smart, incredible, and talented person who we know is capable of great things. 

How Feeling Inadequate Shows Up Physically

You might not think that feeling inadequate can show up physically, but YUP! It can! Your body is more perceptive to these types of things than you might think. It goes through A LOT that you don’t know about. 

Like we said, your body is sensitive, so help it out once in a while and be nice to yourself! It can be hard living in your mind with these feelings of inadequacy and negative self thoughts and it eventually takes a toll on your physical health. See if any of these symptoms pop up for you: 

– Striving to be the best

– Overworking yourself

– Burnout

– Being a perfectionist 

All of these things can hurt your body sooooo much and we want you to feel confident, healthy, and happy! Why? Because you deserve it. We don’t need you burning out like a little candle in a windstorm. Noooo thank you!

5 Ways to Cope with Feeling Inadequate

It’s totally possible to overcome these feelings of inadequacy. It takes a lot of work, but it’s definitely doable! SO, DON’T DESPAIR! We’ve got you! With enough time, you will be able to feel fulfilled, accomplished, and loved like you deserve!

1.  Journaling

Take a moment to yourself and journal what you’re feeling and thinking. If you write down negative thoughts, try to reframe and counter them! Take that mean inner voice! 

2.  Give yourself a pep talk

Encourage yourself like you would the girl you just met in the bathroom at the bar! Hype yourself up in the mirror or write down a script that you can recite to yourself every day. 

3. Practice meditation

Sometimes, we just need a quiet moment to ourselves. If you have a meditation practice, that’s amazing! Keep it going! But if you’re just starting out, there are plenty of great guided meditations that you can access for free. You can also find ones that focus specifically on feeling inadequate.

4.  Comfort yourself as you would want a parent or friend to do

BE NICE TO YOURSELF! You deserve to feel loved, especially by you! You’re an amazing person who has done incredible things in your life. Give yourself a biiiiiiiig hug and say “I love you.” Say all the nice things to yourself that you would say to a loved one and give yourself some self-compassion. 

5. Find a positive distraction

Distract yourself from this feeling with something positive that you enjoy. Maybe this means reading a book, watching something funny, taking a shower, or looking at relaxing images. Sometimes, cleaning makes us feel soooo good (but only clean if you have the energy). You could also cook, listen to music or a podcast, do a puzzle, or literally anything that you enjoy! 

We know that working through this feeling can be really challenging, but we believe that you can do it. Look after yourself today and do something positive that makes you feel good and worthy–because you are!

Feeling guilty is one of the most draining, soul-crushing emotions to experience, which is probably why it’s rooted in the ‘sad’ core feeling. Guilt can be a typical response to our mistakes or bad choices that hurt other people or affect them in negative ways. It’s an emotion that gnaws at our conscience and it’s. the. worst. It feels like a knot in your stomach or a lump in your throat that you can’t swallow. The cause of your guilt keeps playing in your mind over and over again obsessively, which only makes us feel 1000x worse. Why did I do that? Why did I say that? What is wrong with me?! I’m such a bad person… 

But, we’re only human. Humans make mistakes or poor choices sometimes! When we mess up, it’s typical for us to be hard on ourselves. Guilt can have a lot of power over us if we let it. But we’re here to help you work through your feelings of guilt so you can move on. Because you DO deserve to be happy! No room for baggage here.

A Deeper Look at Feeling Guilty

What does it really mean to feel guilty? APA Dictionary of Psychology defines guilt (n.) as “a self-conscious emotion characterized by a painful appraisal of having done (or thought) something that is wrong, often [characterized] by a readiness to take action designed to undo or mitigate this wrong.” So yeah, guilt is that pit-in-your-stomach feeling you get when you have done something that you know is wrong. It sucks, right?

There’s lot of reasons you might feel guilty. Maybe you got into an argument with your best friend and you made a comment that was super uncalled for and hurt their feelings. You regretted it the second you said it, but too late; the damage was done. Or maybe you promised your boss you would meet an important deadline, but you fell behind and couldn’t follow through on that promise. You let them down, and you feel like shit for your poor performance. Or it could be that you’ve broken up with someone who was a really great person, but you just didn’t see a future with them. And seeing their hurt and confusion makes you feel like such a bad person for not loving them back the way they deserve. Other common causes of guilt can include surviving trauma or disaster that others did not, also known as survivor guilt.

To get more specific, here’s three common types of guilt that you might experience:

1. Reactive Guilt

This type of guilt stems from you thinking that you’ve done something that goes against your beliefs or morals, or what you see as acceptable society standards. For example: backing into someone’s car in a parking lot and not leaving a note. Not only is that illegal (don’t hit and run, fam) but you would most likely feel a ton of guilt for damaging someone’s property and not leaving your information to help cover the cost.

2. Anticipatory Guilt

When you think about doing something that goes against your moral standards, or what’s seen as acceptable behaviour by society, that’s anticipatory guilt. Maybe your cousin has asked you to be a part of their wedding party, which usually takes a lot of time and money to participate including parties, fittings and so on. You think about making an excuse to not attend, which would involve lying. You don’t actually go through with it, but the fact that you considered lying to your cousin to get out of their big day makes you feel like a certified piece of shit.

3. Existential Guilt

This form of guilt is a ‘lil bit more complex than the rest. Basically, it has to do with your feeling of injustice and how unfair life can be. It can also stem from the feeling you might have if you believe that you’ve made a negative impact on the lives of others. Maybe you harbor a ton of guilt because one of your parents gave up their career to raise you, or if your parents didn’t want another child when they had you. If you care deeply about the environment, you might also experience guilt for your carbon footprint, even though you do your best to reduce waste and be mindful about your lifestyle. 

How Feeling Guilty Shows Up Mentally

Guilt can consume your thoughts and really begin to affect your wellbeing. It feels like a nagging little voice in your head that makes your heart feel like it’s breaking. It’s a hard emotion to wrap your mind around and work through because it’s not one that just goes away. Even if you are able to put it in the back of your mind, it still sometimes shoves its way to the front like an annoying person at a concert. 

Sometimes we have other emotions that come along with guilt like sadness and shame. But there are other ways that it can pop up as well. Here are a few ways guilt can intrude on your mental health:

– Deep regret

– Self-doubt

– Low self-esteem

– Isolating from others

– Feeling inadequate or shame

It’s not easy to feel this way. We’ve totally been there! You might be experiencing some really hard stuff like self doubt and regret, but this feeling won’t last forever. 

How Feeling Guilty Shows Up Physically

Feeling guilty can also show in physical ways, too. It’s not just an emotion that lives in your head. Even though you might think that you’re capable of keeping it in your brain, your body will inevitably react to how you’re feeling. 

Like we said, guilt can come along with other emotions (like a mean group of friends that manages to make you feel like shit). While guilt might make you feel like there’s a pit in your stomach and a pain in your chest, its nasty friends make you feel a certain way too. Here’s a few not-so-fun signs you might notice if you’re experiencing guilt:

• Tearfulness
• Difficulty sleeping or insomnia
• Headaches
• Stomach pain
• Digestive problems
• Muscle tension

Now that you know some of the physical things that come along with guilt (like muscle tension) it coullllld be a really nice reason to treat yourself to a lovely massage. Just sayin’!

5 Ways to Cope with Feeling Guilty

When you’re feeling guilty, it can be hard to pull yourself out of this feeling. Guilt can manage to stick with you for yearsssss. How rude! Like we said, it’s that annoying person that manages to push their way to the front at a concert every now and again.  But don’t worry! We have some coping strategies for you that can really help. Sometimes, it just takes time for guilt to subside. But if you’re short on time and big on emotions, try these coping strategies instead:

1. Journal

Try writing out exactly how you’re feeling and what made you feel this way. Did you say something hurtful that you regret? Back out on a commitment you made last minute? Taking the time to journal our thoughts can give us the clarity we need to move forward and past the feelings of guilt!

2. Practice deep breathing

Try it with us: breathe innn… and breathe outtt. Taking a moment to focus on your breathing has actually been proven to lower anxiety and reduce stress. Plus, deep breathing slows your heart rate and provides your brain with enough oxygen to chill out a bit.

3. Reach out for support

Your guilt might cause you to push others away or isolate yourself. Remember, your friends and family are there for a reason! When you need to talk through how you’re feeling, lean on the people you trust. Sometimes just having someone to listen to us and validate how we’re feeling makes all the difference!

4. Engage in compassionate self talk

We can be really hard on ourselves when we feel guilty. Try saying positive things to yourself out loud: I feel guilty at this moment, but I know that I am a good person. I’m a human who makes mistakes sometimes. It’s important to treat yourself with kindness in order to work through this feeling.

5. Give yourself a pep talk

Guilt can really get you down. Try to utilize a helpful statement, like: I’m only human. I will get through this. It can serve as a reminder that what you’re feeling right now is valid and that you can move on.

There you have it! That’s all for now. We know how hard it can be to get over guilt, so don’t be so hard on yourself. And if your guilt is ever a result of you saying ‘no’ to people’s requests, check out our article on how to say no without feeling guilty! Hopefully, these tips will help you manage this emotion.

We’re rooting for you, always!

 

It’s 11:30 pm. You’re tired. You’ve done your nightly skincare routine, read part of a book, wound down for the evening, and you are ready for bed! As you’re drifting off to sleep, you get hit in the head suddenly with a memory you had completely forgotten about! *cue flashback movie magic as you start feeling embarrassed for no reason*

You were hanging out with this person that you really liked when you were 17. It was one of your first hangout/date ever and you really didn’t understand the protocols of dating. You thought that it was going super well so at the end of the night you lean in and kiss them. Only for them to say they WEREN’T FEELING IT and they thought of you as just a GOOD FRIEND and oh god you put your heart on the line and you REALLY thought this was a date and now you feel like an idiot and you spiral into how you could sneak out of the country before you have to see or speak to them ever again.

Cut back to you in bed. Your face is red, your heart is racing and there’s no way in hell that you’re falling asleep easily now! You’re way too embarrassed.

A Deeper Look at Embarrassment

Merriam Webster says that embarrassment is defined as “feeling or showing a state of self-conscious confusion and distress”

We define it as wanting to crawl into a hole and never come out. Ostriches shove their heads in the sand, right? That’s basically what we do when we’re embarrassed. It’s probably not the best way to cope but *shrug* 

Psychology Today said that the reason people likely feel embarrassed is because it’s a form of societal feedback. We feel guilt, shame, self-consciousness, awkwardness, and vulnerability so that we don’t make the same kind of mistake again in the future. It’s kind of a way of managing and policing ourselves as we go through the world.  

The feeling of embarrassment is different from the feeling of shame. Shame can accompany embarrassment, but there is one biiig fundamental difference between the two. Shame is often associated with morality while embarrassment isn’t. You don’t feel morally compromised when you accidentally trip in front of a large group of people, right?

How Feeling Embarrassed Shows Up Mentally

You’ve probably been embarrassed before at someeee point in your life, so we probably don’t need to go over this, butttttt we’re going to anyway!

1. Anxiety

This isn’t a common feeling for everyone, but in some cases, anxiety can pop up alongside the feeling of embarrassment. This is more common for people who experience social anxiety and then end up ruminating on the incident that caused them embarrassment.

Omg did I really just say that to my partner’s BOSS? What if I cost them a promotion or a transfer? Holy shit, what if I ruined their career because of one stupid thing I said?

2. Depression

Sometimes if you focus on the negative experience that embarrassed you, you can become depressed. This ends up being typically a reaction from people who are already really struggling with their confidence, self-worth, and self-esteem.

I’ll never recover from this. I can’t believe I did this. Wow, I don’t deserve anything good at all… ever… Holy hell I hate myself. 

3. Questioning Self-Worth

If you’re already struggling with your self-confidence and self-esteem, an embarrassing moment can end up sending you down a horrible little spiral that makes you question your own self-worth as a person. It’s such a shitty feeling. We know because we’ve done it a few times, ourselves!

I am such a loser. I can’t believe I just did that! Are you kidding? Wow, I really don’t deserve anything good. Look at what a huge fuck up I am!

4. Overthinking

You spin me right ‘round, baby right ‘round. Like a record baby, these thoughts are spinning in our heads right round, as we end up overthinking every aspect of our lives….

I will never sleep again. All I can think about is the time that I flung rice all over the floor at that really important dinner 3 years ago. Everyone saw me. Omg…

How Feeling Embarrassed Shows Up Physically

As if being embarrassed couldn’t get any worse! There are physical symptoms for it too?

1. Blushing

Who doesn’t love some cute rosy cheeks? Umm… us! Especially when it means that we’re embarrassed. When we feel embarrassed, what happens is that our sympathetic nervous system will make our blood vessels open wiiiiide up and allow blood to rush through. That’s what gives us such a red face, neck, or chest when we’re embarrassed.

2. Stuttering 

Unfortunately, some of us become a little less well-spoken when we’re under stress. It’s a totally natural reaction! Unfortunately, our poor little brains don’t seem to process words and embarrassment at the same time very well.

3. Sweating

Similar to when we get anxious or stressed, our body releases stress hormones when we get embarrassed. These lovely little hormones then make us sweat a bit when we are a bit humiliated.  

4. Nervous Laughter

This is called an incongruous emotion. This means that the emotion you feel doesn’t really line up with what you’re expressing. Nervous laughter can be used as a way to regulate the nervous system or even just as a way to try and save face in front of people.

5. Fidgeting

Sometimes after an embarrassing moment, we might find ourselves fidgeting a bit more than usual. Some people think that this is our body’s way of relieving stress and

How to Cope with Feeling Embarrassed

Sometimes, you might not know how to DiveThru this feeling of embarrassment. It can feel like it’s going to stick around forever and ever. But we promise that it won’t! Here are some ways to help you cope with feeling soooo embarrassed:  

1. Reach out for support

If you’re feeling like you can’t cope with your embarrassment on your own, don’t be afraid to reach out! We have all felt embarrassed at one point in our lives, so don’t feel like people won’t understand. Because we will!

2. Comfort yourself as you would expect a parent or friend to do 

Don’t be too hard on yourself! Be kind. Give yourself a little pep talk like you would to a friend who just made the same mistake that you did. It’ll alllll be ok! 

3. Practice deep breathing

Deep breathing helps us relaxxxxx. After an embarrassing moment, sometimes what we need is to just take a moment, take a few deep breaths, and reset. Let’s do it together right now. Inhale slowly. Hold for a second, and now exhale. Ahhhh… much better! If you ever feel embarrassed, deep breathing is a fantastic way to relieve stress.  

4. Journal

Counter the negative thoughts that are living in your head after an embarrassing moment by writing them down. Take a look at them and see what you can say back to yourself to help yourself out and be a little bit kinder to yourself in the process. 

5. Give yourself a pep talk and create a helpful statement 

If you gotta go into a bathroom and play some Cher in your headphones and give yourself a little pep talk after accidentally putting your foot in your mouth, go do it! Find a phrase that resonates with you and repeat, repeat, repeat! You’ve got this!

We will never fully be able to cure your embarrassment. Unfortunately, that’s the sort of the thing that only heals with time and wisdom. But we hope that you find new ways to work through it! We’ve all been there and we’ll likely all be there again. Just take a breath, give yourself a little love, and keep trucking on!