Nuanced Emotions

In times like these, it’s hard not to feel the weight of the world pressing in. The death of Pope Francis, the sweeping changes led by political figures like Donald Trump, and the relentless global crises – from the 12 million displaced people in Sudan to ongoing wars – are enough to leave anyone reeling. Maybe you’re feeling grief. Maybe despair. Or maybe you’re trying to disconnect altogether. Every response is valid. But when emotions become overwhelming or uncomfortable, how do we keep living, thriving, and staying well in the chaos?

Understanding Our Emotions Starts with Awareness

Brené Brown’s research revealed that most people can only name three emotions while experiencing them: happiness, sadness, and anger. This limited emotional vocabulary cuts us off from deeper emotional awareness, and with it, our capacity for true connection – with ourselves and with others.

We can’t control what’s happening in the world, but we can work on naming, understanding, and making space for the full spectrum of our emotions. In fact, perhaps this time of collective challenge is also an opportunity to build greater emotional resilience?

Naming Emotions Is the First Step Toward Healing

Just today, I worked with a young woman who’d experienced sexual harassment at work. She could say she was “upset,” but couldn’t access the deeper emotional truths inside her. Her company had made vague promises to act but followed through on none – adding betrayal and powerlessness to her trauma.

Together, we worked to name the feelings – shame, fear, anger, disbelief – and notice the physical sensations associated with them. By identifying her emotions, she moved from vague anxiety to clarity. That clarity allowed her to self-regulate, to breathe again. It gave her a foundation for healing instead of spinning in stress.

Listening to the Body: A Path to Self-Support

Another client came in believing she had the flu. But as we explored what she was really feeling in her body, we discovered more accurate signs: congestion, wheezing, body aches. She didn’t just need rest – she needed specific support. Some nose spray, an antihistamine, an inhaler, and Panado for the pain. Maybe even antibiotics. Her recovery depends on her ability to interpret her body’s signals, and then respond with what it needs.

We are designed to heal – but only when we pause long enough to listen and support the innate intelligence of our bodies and minds.

Avoiding Emotion Isn’t the Answer

When we don’t want to feel, we often turn to numbing: overworking, staying constantly busy, binge-eating, vaping, doom-scrolling, or other addictions. But emotions aren’t problems to fix. They are signals to decode.

If we can stay with our emotions long enough, they will run their course. The wave may be intense, but it will pass. Ignoring or avoiding it only creates more internal pressure. Healing begins when we choose to stay – curiously, compassionately.

Somatic Healing: More Than Just “In Your Head”

A psychiatrist I am working with recently said to me, “I never realized how limited the mind is in changing its own patterns.” Suppressing emotions only works temporarily. Over time, it requires more and more effort to keep them surpressed and buried. But when we work with the body – the somatic experience – we unlock real transformation. The body holds wisdom the mind alone can’t access.

Practical Tools for Emotional Resilience in a Chaotic World

Here are a few ways to stay grounded and emotionally well during difficult times:

• Limit your news intake. Too much news, especially in the morning, can hijack your mood for the day.

• Seek uplifting content. Watch a feel-good show or enjoy a positive podcast. Your nervous system needs balance.

• Move your body. Walk, run, dance, box, stretch – whatever moves emotion through your system.

• Soothe yourself. Take a hot bath, play music, laugh with friends, or simply rest.

• Be kind to yourself. Replace inner criticism with compassion. Validate your own experience.

• Connect. Humans are wired for connection. If you're feeling isolated, go where people are – work from a café, hit the gym, go to a movie. Start a conversation and seek those “me too” moments that remind us we’re not alone.

• Use emotion as feedback. Emotions are not the enemy. They are your body’s dashboard lights, alerting you to areas of strain or stress. Use them to guide your self-care, be deliberate and be accurate, making sure that the care you offer hits the spot for you and isn't just generic, for example a massage isn't going to help if you are tired - that needs sleep.

  
  

Let’s Live the Legacy of Compassion

Pope Francis was a man of the people. He suspended judgment and met others with love and compassion. What if we honoured his legacy by doing the same for ourselves – and then extending it to others?

Start with kindness. Let compassion ripple outward. It’s a healing force in a hurting world – and one that begins with you.

I wish you peace, connection, and the quiet strength that comes from emotional clarity. May you move through this season with curiosity, grace, and the inner knowing that your feelings matter.

With much love,

Sue