Emotions aren’t always environmentally friendly. They don’t carpool. They aren’t going to hop into the same vehicle and drive ahead, that would just be too easy for us to handle. Instead, your emotions are going to race off, moving at their own speeds, with their own style, and you’ll be left trying to track each one of them down.
Your attraction drives a red Ferrari; it races ahead, neglecting the speed limit to chase after what it wants.
Your worries drive a shiny, white Mini-van with a “baby on board” sticker. They’re never pulled over, overly cautious, but constantly white-knuckling the wheel.
Your comparisons drive a beige 90’s Toyota Corolla four-door sedan with a dented door and one window that doesn’t roll down. The kind of car that just won’t give up, much like the voice in our heads telling us we aren’t as good as those around us.
And so the list goes on.
Each car takes takes different exits and drives at different speeds, and they’re all heading somewhere else. Our feelings do the same thing.
Often, our responses to situations are combinations of different emotions; sadness, anger, anxiety, joy, contentment, acceptance, confusion. Which can be overwhelming because we’re conditioned to believe we can only feel one emotion at a time. These feelings exist all at once, in different quantities, at different volumes.
The antidote to feeling overwhelmed by all these emotions zooming through our minds at once? Allow them to, allow the push and pull of conflicting emotions to exist, and allow yourself to feel rather than fight what is coming up naturally.
We can both approve and disapprove of someone or something. We can even understand someone’s reasoning but disagree with their actions.
Our emotions move at different speeds, they’re unpredictable. The only way to handle them is through self-compassion and a knowing that you’ll never wrangle them all.
Next time you’re feeling confused or overwhelmed by your emotions, try telling yourself, “I am being kind to myself.” Give yourself permission to lean into each emotion, and when you’re ready gently approach one, then the next, and the next. Just one step at a time.
Essie Somma is an artist and freelance writer exploring beauty and difficulty within the human experience. She has been traveling full-time for two years, learning about new places and cultures, and bringing all of her experiences to her work. She feels endlessly grateful for getting to share her work with others.
