Emotional accumulation: symptoms, causes and how to manage it

Surely at some point you have felt overwhelmed, exhausted and with a feeling that you could not take it anymore, but you could not find a way to relax and feel better. This is the feeling that emotional accumulation generates.

Given the pace of life we ​​lead, with which we must always be doing things and achieving goals, it is very likely that you do not give yourself time to stop or to know how you are; we often choose to avoid and inhibit our emotions, which will eventually accumulate.

This emotional accumulation not only affects the level of emotions, but also harms the mental state, more cognitive of the subject, and his physical well-being. In such cases, the individual feels more tired, slower, with difficulty concentrating and more easily to get sick.

In this article you will get to know better what is meant by emotional accumulation, how it affects us in different areas and how we can prevent or deal with it so that it does not lead to worse consequences.

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What is emotional hoarding?

It is easy to intuit what the concept of emotional accumulation means or refers to, since the term itself expresses quite well what It is, and given the hectic pace of life we ​​currently lead, it is very likely that you have felt this sensation or are in this condition.

By emotional accumulation we understand a state in which the subject is at the limit of his possibilities and of his physical and mental state of health. In other words, the individual is overwhelmed by an accumulation, a set of emotions, that he has not known or been able to express.

We can understand this state as an alarm, a warning that we must stop and rest if we do not want the consequences to be worse.

The typical illustrative example that is used to better understand the concept is that of a full glass of water that ends up overflowing from a single drop; that is to say, the well-known expression of "the straw that breaks the camel's back", a small event that causes us to end up exploding because we have already accumulated a lot.

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Symptoms: How does emotional accumulation affect us?

This state of accumulation or emotional saturation of which we have spoken will obviously affect our emotional state; this will change and be affected making us more irritable, more stressed and more anxious.

When we suffer emotional accumulation any situation that goes out of our plans or bothers us minimally alters us excessively and will cause in us a disproportionate reaction not akin to the situation.

But it not only affects our mood, but also affects our mental state, our most cognitive part, since we will feel mentally exhausted, our mental capacities and functions being affected. We will have more difficulties in concentration, in memory, we will forget things more easily, our mental processes will slow down, we will notice ourselves slower with less rhythm; this phenomenon is described as bradypsychia.

It is worth highlighting the affectation of the most biological component, our state of physical health, since mental saturation also ends up affecting our physical state. We will feel more tired, without wanting to do things, we will feel more tense, with pain in the muscles and joints, with Headaches and the body in general. In this way, the state in which we find ourselves reduces our defenses, our physical strength, making it easier for us to get sick.

Likewise, the set of different affectations and states, both emotional, cognitive and physiological, makes us feel on the limit, that we do not we can do more and what we need to stop, although the ability to learn and face our state is not easy and not everyone knows or can do it well.

In relation to the previous paragraph, a feeling that can also appear and can be a sign that we are in a state of emotional accumulation is having the need to stop, needing to disconnect, but not being able, since we notice that there is something that does not allow us, that does not let us relax.

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Causes

A concept related to emotional accumulation is that of repressed emotions, phenomenon that arises from the denial of some of our emotions, which end up accumulating. The thoughts, emotions, sensations that we try to suppress or avoid do not disappear, and contrary to what we want, these end up increasing and having more impact on us than if we had faced them from the beginning.

Everything we feel and think happens and appears in us for some purpose or for some reason; therefore, it is important that we pay attention to it, since this is the only way to really know how we are; We will be able to know why we act in a certain way or when it is time to stop or make a change in our lives.

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How to cope with emotional accumulation

Taking into account all that has been raised so far, we can stay with some general recommendations: knowing how to stop, listen to ourselves, attend to the alarms that our body and mind give and not deny what we feel or repress our emotions.

It is important that the subject understands that emotions are not negative, that even unpleasant ones can be functional, since they are giving us information, indicating how we feel, thus allowing us to act to remedy the situation.

We should not rationalize everything, that is, not everything has to have a rational explanation without the influence of emotions, Since as we mentioned before, denying emotions does not make them disappear, with this we will only get them to accumulate.

We therefore see that to be able to face correctly and to prevent negative consequences of accumulating emotions It is essential to dedicate time to yourself to be able to detect the signals that our own body and our mind give us. Taking time to relax and face what causes us discomfort or problems serves to avoid possible later reactions that do damage our lives more seriously.

Knowing what worries us, how we feel, and what we think about the things that happen to us is the way to really know our identity and how we are. It is common that many times we choose to ignore and pretend nothing, as if we could accumulate emotions and feelings indefinitely, but we have a limit and it is very likely that if we do not solve this state we will end up exploding.

Although yes, knowing ourselves and knowing what emotions and thoughts occupy us at the moment is a process that we must do in a functional and adequate way; We have to avoid getting stuck and constantly ruminate on these thoughts or feelings that we worry, since in this way we will only be able to enter a loop which will not help us to download our emotions.

It is for this reason that we must find a more adaptive, functional and healthier method of action that does not harm us; we have to find ways that little by little we can download and reduce emotional accumulation so as not to reach the top, find what our escape routes or mode of action may be that benefits us and works for us more. In this way, we will see how we improve and consequently improve the different areas of our life such as work, family or social.

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What techniques will be the most appropriate to relax and get downloading?

There are various techniques that can be used, and According to the characteristics and tastes of each individual, they will work and it will be better to use one or the other.

For example, there are people who will be better at practicing sports such as swimming, running or more team sports such as playing basketball or soccer, there are others who will find it better to perform. relaxation techniques to better connect with themselves; others will prefer to meet and stay with their friends or family as a way to disconnect or use art, such as painting or dancing. They are all ways of spending time with yourself to enjoy doing what you really like.

Linked to social relationships and spending time with the people we love, it is important to train to maintain good communication, also using social skills Y assertive. If we manage to have a stable and constant communication, it will be easier for us to express and regulate our emotions better, and that we feel supported and understood by others, avoiding or reducing the probability of accumulation occurring emotional.

Therefore, to reduce or prevent emotional accumulation we must find the middle ground, a point in which we do not deny our own state or emotions, but in which we do not remain anchored in them either, in a loop and focusing on its causes, symptoms and consequences; This way, it will be more functional to be distracted and take time to gradually release tension.