Talking about feelings

Talking about feelings. Not everyone’s favourite topic. Many of us will prefer to keep them to ourselves and bury them. So following on from #TimeToTalkDay I think we need to continue the dialogue and be more open with each other.

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I’m someone who has been through therapy for anger and underlying issues with depression and I struggled throughout my teenage I would burst out in rage and take it out on my parents and brother. I would shut myself off from the world and when I was in public, I would carry a façade that everything was ok. In reality, I was internalising all my emotions.

I bottled them up and only let them out when the bottle burst in the form of anger. I was miserable and alone.

That changed when I finally started to talk about how I felt. I found people I could confide in, my best friend and a therapist. They really helped.

I was able to let out my emotions and accept them. I could acknowledge how I felt and then understand it. Since then, I have learned to share how I feel and not let my feelings consume me from the inside out. I am open and much happier for it.

So, what does this have to do with you?

Sharing feelings should not be something to be embarrassed about. We should all talk more about how we feel. If we are open with each other then we can all take steps to be more caring and make the world a little brighter.

But, this can still be daunting, especially if you’re like I was where the idea of sharing how you feel is way out of your comfort zone.

If you do want to share, then I encourage you to do so in a safe space. There are many ways that you can do this, but only if it’s right for you. Here are some ideas:

• Talk to a close friend
• Talk to your parents
• Talk to your Personal Tutor
• Go to the Student Wellbeing Team

The Student Wellbeing Team are here for you if you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone else. Please get in contact with them if you want to share with them. The team is made up of professionals including Student Wellbeing Advisors, Mental Health Advisors and Counsellors who can provide advice and guidance with any issues you may be facing.

The Student Wellbeing Team have drop in sessions: Mon-Fri 12-2pm, Thursday (Term Time) 5-7pm. You can find out more from the student services website here: https://studentservices.lincoln.ac.uk/

You aren’t alone and sharing how you feel is always better than keeping it inside.