Mental health is just as important as physical health. People generally focus on exercising the body, and not the mind. This is a mistake! Emotions are a part of life whether you like them or not. When it’s good it’s good, but the bad ones can really wreak havoc on your mental state. In order to be happy and healthy, emotions need to be expressed.

Has anyone ever told you that the eyes are the window to the soul? It’s so true. Eyes can express emotions even if your body language or speech does not. Being able to communicate with others is vital to survival. Even though you might not feel comfortable expressing your emotions through any other form, it can do wonders. Use your whole body to express yourself, especially your voice. Talking about your feelings to others not only creates a deeper connection between two people, but it also can be motivating and uplifting.

Here are just some of the ways sharing emotions does wonders for you:

• When you are able to share life with another person, the good and the bad things, you are going through a therapeutic experience. In order to process, many people need to verbally work out the details.
• Specific emotions can protect you. If you are in a dangerous situation, sharing those fearful emotions can cause everyone in your group to become aware of the necessity to move. For example, if you are in a car with someone who is intoxicated, sharing your fear that the driver is not able would save all passengers, provided the driver is switched.
• Interacting with others allows you to understand one another. Through expression, we are better able to create relationships with our parents, teachers, friends, and strangers.

Even if you feel like pushing your emotions down, try to let them out. It is far better to let go of any anger, sadness, regret, or other negative emotions. If it’s too hard to share with someone you know, therapy is a wonderful way to get through stress. You can talk freely with an empathetic, trained professional who will be able to help you get through your troubles.