Feeling Powerful: A Guide to Your Emotions

PUBLISHED Apr 30th, 2021 & UPDATED ON Nov 29th, 2022

There’s no feeling quite like feeling powerful. It makes you feel bold, confident and motivated. It feels like YOU are in control of your life, and no one else. You stand a little taller and carry yourself like the strong, capable person you believe you are (and we love to see it!). Being powerful doesn’t have to mean being a CEO in charge of a multi-million dollar company, or ruler over an entire freakin’ country. There’s a difference between being in a position of power, and FEELING powerful. When you experience power as an emotion, you are totally in charge of your feelings, strengths and opportunities. Not to mention you’re ready for whatever bullshit comes your way because you have total faith that you can manage the outcome, no matter what. You believe in yourself and you don’t care who knows it!! Pretty powerful stuff, right?

It’s safe to say that feeling powerful seems great. At least, it’s a huge step up from feeling like we have zero control over our lives or emotions! Let’s dive thru what it means to feel powerful, how it improves our mental wellbeing and how we can embrace this feeling.

A Deeper Look at Feeling Powerful

What does it mean to feel powerful, exactly? Merriam-Webster defines powerful as: “adj. having great power, prestige, or influence.” Again, this probably brings an image to mind of someone in a position of power, like a famous tech billionaire or the Queen of England. But to be fair, who wouldn’t feel powerful in a crown?!

Actually though, feeling powerful has more to do with self-confidence and knowing who you are as a person. Think of a time when you felt powerful and in control. Maybe your boss asked you to lead a project, and you gave it your all. Your team listened to what you had to say not just because you were in charge, but because you knew exactly what direction to go in. You felt strongly about your ideas, you showed confidence and chances are, it got the results you wanted! Since you believed in your abilities, you didn’t doubt for a second that you would fail. Or maybe you did doubt yourself a lil’ bit, but you shook it off and kicked ass anyway. That probably made you feel powerful AF! As it should, friend.

Maybe self-expression is what makes you feel powerful. Not just in how you dress or do your hair (although that can also be super empowering!) but in how you speak up for what you believe is right and share your opinions freely. Being an activist for causes that you’re passionate about and working towards a greater good can make you feel liberated, and yep, powerful. Being a part of positive change is a powerful thing!

When it comes down to it, feeling powerful is about knowing your worth and being secure in who you are. Is it easy? Nope, not always. But learning about yourself and having the willingness to grow can be a really powerful experience!

How Feeling Powerful Shows Up Mentally

The benefits that feeling powerful provides for your mental health are ones you don’t wanna miss! Here are a few mental signs of feeling powerful:

High self-esteem
Increased confidence
Reduced anxiety
Lowered stress
Higher energy levels
Improved relationships
Striving for success

Feeling more powerful and confident can also reduce social anxiety because you care less what others think and worry less about being judged. You might act more assertive and unafraid to ask for what you want. Better communications skills, as well as sharing openly how you feel is another plus to feeling powerful! Overall, your mental wellbeing and quality of life can be improved by this shift in mindset.

How Feeling Powerful Shows Up Physically

Having high self-esteem and confidence can improve your physical health just as much as your mental health. Think about it! When we feel great about ourselves, we tend to take better care of ourselves. We make sure we’re drinking enough water, eating and getting some fresh air. We’re less susceptible to conditions like eating disorders, substance abuse or addictions. And because we feel good and can manage our stress and anxiety, our cardiac health also improves. We don’t get sick as often, or deal with headaches and body aches. We get enough rest. There are so many ways feeling powerful improves our health!

The mind and body work together, so treat both with love and care! You deserve to feel happiness from the inside out.

5 Ways to Embrace Feeling Powerful

So now that we’re feeling all of this power, how do we channel this emotion?! We’ve got your back. Here are some strategies to embrace feeling powerful that are great for your mental wellbeing!

1. Journal

We’re big journaling fans here at DiveThru. This is one of the best practices for exploring your feelings, both positive and negative! Put pen to paper and describe how you’re feeling at this moment. What makes you feel powerful, and what gives you confidence? What are you most proud of? This journal entry can also serve as a great reminder when you could use a lil’ pick-me-up. So write, write, write away!

2. Practice Meditation

Having power over your emotions and knowing your self-worth feels amazing, doesn’t it? And meditation is a great practice for slowing down, resetting and improving our mental clarity. It also helps us recognize and connect with our inner thoughts and feelings. If you’re not sure how to meditate, start out with a guided practice!

3. Practice Gratitude

Noticing the positives in life is great, and showing gratitude for them is even better! That might include writing a list of things that bring you joy, volunteering in your community, or showing acts of kindness to the people who make your life better. It honestly feels great for everyone involved, so why not try it out for yourself!

4. Engage in Something Creative

Ya wanna know what’s empowering? Channeling your creativity! Get artsy by drawing, sketching, doing calligraphy or painting. Write poems or try blog writing. Practice an instrument, sing, dance! Feeling powerful can really put you in the right headspace to get creative, and the possibilities are endless. Give it a go!

5. Move Your Body

A huge benefit to exercise? Those endorphins, baby! Getting physical not only improves your mood, it also releases stress and improves your focus. So try doing something active that you personally enjoy! It could be dancing around your room to your upbeat playlist, or following along to a yoga video on YouTube. Maybe you like to run. Or swim. Whatever works, really. Your heart AND mind will thank you!

So, there you have it. We think it’s pretty amazing that you feel powerful, and so should you! Put those positive vibes to good use and keep on shining, friend.