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Excited. Depressed. Anxious. Jubilant. Apprehensive. Overwhelmed. Jealous. Scared. Sad. Joyful. Angry.
Emotions.
We all feel them. In fact, they are a God-given part of being human. Our emotions play a huge role in our lives – actually, much more than what we give them credit for. Emotions are signals or indicators the body uses to alert us to what is going on in our world. For most, it’s easy to embrace emotions that are positive in nature, but when it comes to the unpleasant ones like anger, fear, loneliness, or shame, our immediate response is to stifle them. As a result, we end up going through life hiding our true feelings and this usually leads to unhealthy behaviors in our lives. 
My real life friend, trauma therapist and life coach, Dr. Anita Phillips, joins me on today’s podcast. Dr. Anita does her work at the intersection of faith and mental health and is an expert at unraveling the human experience. She and I had a timely and transparent conversation about the importance of emotions. On today’s episode, she shares some great nuggets on what we need to understand about our emotions in order to be healthy.
Many of us have been taught to believe that showing emotion is wrong. We think we are supposed to experience joy, peace, and happiness every second of the day, and if we experience unpleasant or uncomfortable feelings, we believe it is sinful. As a result, we avoid those feelings, not understanding the toll it takes on our health. Even when we attempt to press those feelings down, they are still there, just waiting to resurface. God did not create us to live without feelings. Jesus experienced great emotion, and we are created in the image of God, so that means that God intentionally designed us to feel!
Emotions are embodied experiences, so when we take care of our bodies, we also strengthen our emotional well-being. Dr. Anita encourages us to sit with our emotions and feel all the feels. I know it’s tempting to ignore them but allow yourself to feel painful emotions instead of trying to suppress them. Acknowledging where you are today doesn’t mean accepting that where you are is where you have to stay.
Dr. Anita provides insight and practical knowledge in understanding our feelings and having better control of our emotional self. I’m so excited to talk with her and share our conversation with all of you because she doesn’t just tell us what to do, she shows us by being transparent and using herself as an example. She has felt the weight and heaviness of holding in her feelings and also the freedom of acknowledging them. As you listen to this podcast, my prayer is that you will begin to connect the dots and learn how to recognize and process emotions so that you can learn how to take care of your emotional well-being and live your life well.
Highlights from Today’s Episode
- Understanding your temperament
- Embracing authentic communication
- Checking in with your body
- Removing the stigma around emotions
- Acknowledging your feelings
Click to Tweet
- “We’ve got to let go of the idea that painful emotion means we’re failing.” Dr. Anita Phillips
- “If we took certain things in the Word at face value more, we would learn more about who God is.” – Dr. Anita Phillips
- “We’re always trying to explain God in a way that brings Him down to our level and that’s a problem.” – Dr. Anita Phillip
Resources Mentioned:
- Connect with Dr. Anita Phillips on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook or on her website.
- Want to hear more from Dr. Anita? Check out her podcast!
- Interested in understanding the spiritual, emotional and physical human experience from a biblical standpoint? Then consider preordering Dr. Anita’s newest book, “The Garden Within”, releasing in April, 2023.
Other Stuff to Check Out
- Did you catch Episode # 378, “Live with No Limits”? Listen here!
- Need to encourage your soul? Try listening to the playlist I put together for my mom, Lady Lois’ Worship
- Interested in supporting the content I create and enjoying bonus content? Learn about joining my Inner Circle!
- Be sure to also check out my books She’s Still There, Show Up For Your Life, The 28-Day Prayer Journey, and Kingdom Woman!
Let’s Talk!
- Do you struggle with acknowledging your emotions?
- How has your upbringing affected how you view emotion?
- What step can you take today to validate your emotions?
Connect with me…
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How to Listen to The Podcast
If you’re new to podcasts, think of them like little radio shows that you can listen to at your convenience. They are perfect to listen to and learn from as you work out, fold laundry, wash dishes or conquer the world.
1. Listen right here on the blog. Click the little play button at the beginning of this post.
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You have been so great to join me on the journey here on the blog, I hope you jump right in and do the same on the podcast!
Thank you for your transparency about our emotions. Feeling is not failing! Shedding so much light on faith vs . feelings. Our bodies are made in His image, a living soul! Water is ice. Inseparable from our Maker! Body, Soul, Spirit. Jesus is already IN US! The story’s not over! He’s The Divine Vine! Every way, Jesus Christ felt every thing we will ever feel or be.
I lost my dad a month ago and I am really trying to keep my emotions in a healthy space. Listening to this podcast shed light on just being me with my emotions and everyday will be different. Always do a self check and stay in tune with me and my emotions daily. Thanks Chrystal and Dr. Anita!