Doing this very simple thing – validating your feelings – will change your life in powerful ways.
Before choosing how to deal with intense feelings, a basic first step is to acknowledge their presence, name them, and simply sit with them for a moment. This validation of what we are feeling is a necessary first step towards greater self-care and self-kindness. Rather than ignoring, avoiding, or invalidating a feeling, we should greet it with kindness and tenderness, even striving to have a sense of curiosity about what it is telling us. Allowing our feelings to be real and present, and giving ourselves permission to feel them, can be a helpful step in recovery.
Just for Today
Be open about what your feelings really are. Acknowledge and name them. Share your insights with a therapist, sponsor, or close friend.