Why Working With Emotions Is One Of The Most Important Thing To Do? And 3 Surprising Things That You Might Have Not Known.

I have previously discussed how valuable it is for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) to focus on unprocessed emotions that are often stored in our subconscious, or "body," and which can influence many aspects of our lives. In this article, I will be providing an in-depth exploration into all of these areas, which may come as a surprise to some.

It is integral to remember that Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) have much more programming than non-sensitive individuals due to the differences in our nervous system and brain. If HSPs grow up for example not having enough money or experience difficult relationships when growing up, we are absorbing this programming without even realizing it. This can lead to feeling unbalanced and powerless. To feel empowered, we need to understand that our emotions hold the keys to unlocking better lives; thus, we need to work on releasing old, repressed feelings by creating healthier emotional patterns like worthiness, self-love, and empowerment.

1.NOT PROCESSING YOUR EMOTIONS CAN IMPACT OUR OVERALL MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING

Highly sensitive people (HSPs) are particularly attuned to their emotions. Consequently, they tend to be more affected by negative emotions that arise from experiences in childhood. Such stuck emotions can have a significant impact on the nervous system, causing heightened levels of stress and anxiety which can manifest in both psychological and physiological symptoms.

Psychologically, HSPs may exhibit persistent feelings of fear or dread due to unresolved emotional pain from childhood. They often experience difficulty controlling thoughts and ruminating over past memories, leading to negative thought patterns that can lead to depression or prolonged sadness. Physically, stuck emotions can affect the body’s ability to regulate hormones such as cortisol—the hormone responsible for regulating stress levels in the body—by flooding it with adrenaline which leads to fight-or-flight responses even when not necessary. Additionally, these trapped feelings of distress can result in sleeping problems as well as immune system dysfunction due to prolonged states of chronic activation. Over time these trapped emotion's impacts on an HSP’s physical and mental health can potentially become chronic if left untreated.

“When you shut down an emotion, you are also affecting your immune system, your nervous system. So the repression of emotion, which is a survival strategy, then becomes a source of emotional, mental and physiological illness later on” Dr Gabor Mate

2. WE MANIFEST BASED ON WHO WE ARE NOT BASED ON WHAT WE WANT.

Dr. Hawkins has conducted research which shows that each emotion can be associated with a certain frequency level. Chart below. Generally, the more negative emotions have lower frequencies. We may find ourselves wanting to manifest our dream life without realizing that there may be a subconscious emotional imprint denoting us as unworthy of achieving it and that keeps us stuck very unknowingly from achieving the thing that we want. Our thoughts may say we want it, but our emotions say we aren’t worthy of it. Until you heal the emotion attached to the thought pattern, the circle of manifestation can’t take place. 

Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) may carry more amount of shame and guilt in their system due to social constructs. They may have been unknowingly shamed for their sensitivities if they've heard phrases such as, "Why are you so sensitive?" or "Why do you think so much?” growing up. This can create an unconscious imprint of guilt for simply being themselves.

3. OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES ARE PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES, NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CHANGE WITH CONSCIOUS AWARENESS.

I often see Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) trying to utilize more traditional healing methods like talk therapy, traditional coaching or even meditation, but not seeing the desired results. I have been in this same situation.

That is why I often speak about neuroception: it's probably the most crucial concept to understand about how responses are created by the nervous system. If you're in a situation where you attempt to show up more authentically or even attract a new relationship, but keep seeing the same patterns arise and become deeply frustrated at your inability to change the circumstances, know that this feeling stems from an "emotional imprint" stuck in your nervous system. This emotional inprint will keep generating these repeated scenarios.

In order to break free from this pattern of behavior, you must first create safety within your own nervous system; when it feels secure enough for you again, then you can begin feeling and processing any emotional discomfort trapped inside yourself. Once those emotions have been released and processed properly only then can you start teaching your body different ways of reacting and responding differently than what has become quickly familiar out of habit due to your previous experiences.

Working with unfelt emotions can often be a longer journey, so it is important to be patient and kind with yourself during this process. Since tackling subconscious patterns can take some time, the more consistently you apply techniques such as breathwork, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), and certain types of body-based practices, the quicker you will be able to release these emotions from your system.