Silence can be painful.  The more your feelings are left unprocessed, the more pressure is built within.  This results in an overwhelming sense of confusion and burden you carry around. Unprocessed emotions can even lead to disease. Speaking about how we feel, may it be negative or positive is liberating. Expressing and processing our emotions is important for our well-being.

Here are some ways to process negative emotions and trauma.

1. Talk them out. Talk to trusted friend.  Talk to a therapist.  Talk to anyone who is willing to give you a safe space.  What you had to go through was difficult and sometimes, having someone who can listen without judgement is all you need to feel validated.  Having someone listen to your painful experiences may be what you need to feel again. 
2. Journal. Write about how you feel without judging yourself.  The act of expressing yourself on paper can be a healing experience. 
3. Reclaim your power.  You are no longer a child, but an adult capable of making your own choices.
4. Let go of the past and forgive. Forgive others who have hurt you.  Forgive yourself of what you still believe you should have done or did not do.  Let go of regrets. 
5. Learn the lessons in all your experiences.  Choose to believe that all the things that happened to your are for your good and leading you closer to where you need to be.  Trust that everything is happening in divine timing. 
6. Express yourself through art, may it be through singing, painting, dancing, or writing poetry. Creation is a healing act.  
7. Move your body. Movement shifts your energy.  Exercise and engage yourself in physical activities. 
8. Reframe your story and how you see yourself.  Instead of saying, “I’m a victim,” say I’m a survivor who is a stronger person today because I got through difficult situations.” 

If we desire to have emotional wellness, the way is towards, not away.  By accepting and welcoming all our feelings, we embrace all of our existence.  We avoid fragmentation and confusion.   We stop resisting anything that comes our way.  Rather, we say, “I welcome you. I love you. You are part of my experience.  I want to know you and listen to what you have to say. Thank you for your message. Thank you for allowing me to continue to evolve as a human being.”  Our emotions are messengers.  They paint a picture of what we are going through.  They point the way to where we need to be.  They give us an idea of our past and what we need to let go.  They lead us to our natural selves, always drawing us home, to our true self which is love.