The cost of suppressing your emotions

A common phrase I hear from men is “there was no place for emotion”, particularly when growing up.

This becomes a lifelong belief and mindset, which results in suppression.

Emotion comes up to the surface, the thought comes to our mind, and so we push it back down again.

I admire guys who are able to do this in clutch situations, when there is a lot on the line and they can’t afford to allow emotions to get in the way.

My concern is what happens to those emotions, and how many of us continually need to suppress emotions in our lives for clutch moments like these.

What often isn’t talked about when it comes to suppressing emotions, is these emotions work against us.

A big one here is anger, one of the most commonly suppressed emotions I see in men, the one’s I work with anyway.

When anger comes up, usually triggered by another person, we stuff it back down and carry it with us.

Sometimes we believe by carrying this anger and resentment, we are making the other person suffer for what they did to us, but in fact we end up hurting ourselves.

That energy of anger and resentment instead is focussed towards us, and slowly eats away at us.

We become angry and resentful to ourselves. Which can lead to becoming bitter at others, self-isolation and chronic pain. Studies have revealed this chronic pain from anger and resentment can slowly eat away at our immune system, and once that weakens, we become more prone to illness and diseases.

The antidote is to process our emotions in a healthy way.

One of the healthiest ways we can do that is through breathwork. This creates a safe container to let all our emotions go in any way shape or form, the energy moves through and out of our body. Leaving us feeling lighter, calmer and more relaxed.

Another healthy way is to do the inner work of focusing our attention to the sensation in the body, being with that sensation and fully feeling it without resisting it. When we fully allow ourselves to feel the emotion, it will want to then be expressed in way, shape or form. Here I encourage guys to be in their own space, and honour how that emotion wants to be expressed, e.g. For anger, punching or screaming into a pillow. For sadness or grief, allowing self to release tears.

You’ll find on the other side of these emotions are clearer thoughts, healthier self-talk, far more ease and peace in your body, and feeling a hell of a lot lighter.

Now that is freedom.

PS.. In the Ascension Men’s Community, I guide men on how to navigate and process specific emotions, so they can free themselves of excess pressure and burden at any moment. We also do regular breathwork and I invite qualified breathwork facilitators, like my partner Bree, to guide us through epic release sessions, which the guys can access recordings to at any time.

If you’re a man who’s tired of being controlled by their emotions and interested in learning this type of work amongst other men, in a safe community environment... The Ascension Men’s Community might be for you, click here to learn more