Emotional suffering: 9 keys to detect and overcome it

At some point in our lives We have all had bad experiences or we have not had traumatic situations that have caused us great emotional suffering. When we are immersed in one of these delicate and difficult situations, we may think that we are not going to recover, that we have hit rock bottom.

However, we can carry out actions that allow us to minimize pain and recover, even little by little, from the difficult moments that we have to live.

In this article we present some keys that will help you overcome emotional suffering.

• Recommended article: "The 8 types of emotions (description and classification)"

Emotional pain and its characteristics

Emotional pain hurts the same as physical pain. This is what many neuroimaging investigations show (Jaffe, 2013), which affirms that regions involved in processing physical pain are the same as emotional pain and distress Social.

This type of pain is a subjective experience, and unlike physical pain, the wound is not seen. There are different reasons that cause great emotional or psychological suffering: heartbreak, leaving behind a city and friends, losing your job, etc. Whatever the cause, it is necessary to know how to correctly manage change and have the tools and resources that help to overcome suffering in an appropriate way.

• Related article: "The 13 types of pain: classification and characteristics”

Tips to overcome emotional distress

Emotional suffering can appear at any time in our lives, and it can last more or less depending on how we deal with it. In the following lines we leave you a series of tips that will help you overcome the pain that appears in difficult moments of our lives.

1. Acknowledge the suffering

It is not easy to recognize that we are having a bad time or that we are not at our best, in part because we live in a very demanding society and in which emotional suffering is synonymous with person weak. But in order to get over this pain it is necessary to recognize it before and not avoid our own emotionsWell, despite not being positive, they can warn us that something is wrong.

When we don't want to face reality, what we are doing is chronifying suffering and avoiding our recovery.

2. Treat yourself with compassion

When things go wrong for us, we tend to be very critical of ourselves. This behavior is not conducive to our recovery at all. Treating ourselves with care is undoubtedly one of the best ways to reduce emotional distress.

We are not perfect people and life has its good moments and bad moments. Accepting this is the best way to move towards mental wellness. Compassion refers not only to treating others with affection, but also to treating ourselves well despite things not going our way. If we accept ourselves as we are and treat each other with affection, we can learn from the negative experiences of life and suffer less.

• You can learn more about the benefits of compassion in our article: "Compassion: a basic tool in our relationships”

3. Accept that there are people who do not understand you

It is easy to believe that others will empathize with your suffering, but this is not always the case, so you must accept it. However, there are sensitive individuals who will understand you because they are sensitive or have gone through similar situations. In addition, there are people with high emotional intelligence and others who do not.

4. Be honest with yourself

When we deceive ourselves, we are avoiding facing the problem. As I said in the previous point, to overcome emotional pain it is necessary to recognize and accept it, and for this, first of all, you have to be honest with yourself.

But not only is it possible to self-sincere to improve mental well-being, but having the support of close people with whom to be able to converse and verbalize thoughts also helps.

5. Value the people who are there for you

Hard times are when we can really see who is there for us and who is by our side. So when we are aware of the people who really care about us, we should keep them. You have to be grateful, because not everyone will lend us their shoulder unconditionally when things are not going well.

6. Look for the reason for your suffering

When you have accepted the situation and are ready to face the situation and are aware that people your surroundings are there for you, find out what is causing you discomfort and think about the cause of your suffering. Perhaps the problem has a solution, so it is possible to remedy it.

7. Take an emotional intelligence course

Emotional intelligence is one of the paradigms of psychology that is most fashionable today. This term, which became fashionable thanks to Daniel Goleman, has been shown to bring many benefits to people. You can know them if you take a look at our article: " The 10 benefits of emotional intelligence”.

Emotional intelligence is made up of five elements: emotional self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, social skills, and self-motivation. Luckily, it can be learned. In our article: “The 6 best courses in Emotional Intelligence and Personal Development”.

8. Do mindfulness

Mindfulness or mindfulness is an ancient practice that is very fashionable today, since scientific research has shown that it increases people's well-being and reduces emotional suffering. It consists of the application of some basic principles, such as: being in the present moment, treating oneself with compassion, adopting a non-judgmental mentality, etc.

• To know more: "Mindfulness: 8 benefits of mindfulness "

9. Go to the psychologist

If you have difficulties to overcome emotional suffering despite doing your part, you can go to a psychologist. This mental health professional will help you find the reason for the problem and will provide you with tools that you can use to improve well-being.

• Going to the psychologist brings you a series of benefits. You can know more in our article: "The 8 benefits of going to psychological therapy”