From Page to Practice: The Hidden Cost of Suppressed Emotions
This is a space where I explore the profound connection between the body, mind, and emotions through insights from impactful books. In this series, I’ll share reflections from research and literature that illuminate how reconnecting with the body can support well-being, paired with practical tools for self-awareness.
For the first installment, I’m diving into When the Body Says No: The Hidden Cost of Stress by Gabor Maté. This book highlights the intricate relationship between emotional patterns, chronic stress, and physical health, offering powerful insights into how the body holds and expresses what we don’t consciously process.
The Body and Repressed Emotions
Maté shares compelling research showing that emotions we push aside—whether anger, sadness, or frustration—can influence our overall well-being. Some studies suggest that difficulties in recognizing or expressing emotions may contribute to patterns of chronic stress, which in turn impact the body.
One observation from a 1952 psychoanalytic study, referenced by Maté, noted that some individuals with breast cancer struggled to express anger, often masking it with self-sacrificing behaviors or “pleasantness.” While this does not imply causation, it highlights the profound connection between emotional health and how the body adapts to stress over time.
It’s important to emphasize that illness and health are influenced by many factors, including genetics, environment, and lifestyle. Emotional patterns and stress are just one piece of the puzzle. This perspective isn’t about blame—it’s about recognizing how the body communicates its needs and exploring ways to support our well-being.
Reclaiming Your Body’s Wisdom
When emotions are unexpressed or held in, they don’t simply disappear. Instead, that energy can show up in the body as tension, chronic pain, fatigue, or other physical sensations. Over time, unresolved stress can strain the nervous system, making it harder to return to a state of ease.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) provides a body-based way to gently explore these patterns and sensations, helping the nervous system find more balance and flexibility. Rather than focusing on retelling past experiences, SE works with the felt sense—the physical sensations that arise in the present moment—allowing for a safe and gradual release of stored tension.
Practical Steps to Recognize Repressed Emotions
If you’re curious about where unresolved stress or emotions might be showing up in your body, here are some ways to begin exploring:
1. Notice Where You Tend to Overcommit
Do you often say "yes" when you really mean "no"? Holding back emotions can show up in self-sacrificing behaviors or avoiding conflict.
💡 Reflection Tip: Think about a recent time you overcommitted. How did it feel in your body? Did you notice tension, fatigue, or a sense of overwhelm?
2. Tune Into Chronic Physical Tension
Unexpressed emotions often manifest as tightness, discomfort, or tension in the body.
🌿 Practice: Take a moment to scan your body. Where do you feel tension? Place your hand on that area and ask yourself, “What might this part of me need?”
3. Explore Triggers Without Judgment
Unprocessed emotions can create strong physical reactions to certain situations.
🔎 Actionable Tip: When you feel triggered, pause and notice where the sensation shows up in your body (e.g., tight throat, racing heart). Simply observe it without trying to fix or judge it.
4. Consider Your Relationship with Anger
Many people suppress anger because they view it as harmful or unacceptable. However, anger in its healthy form is a natural and necessary part of emotional balance.
🔥 Reflection Question: When was the last time you allowed yourself to feel anger fully? How did you express or suppress it?
Why This Matters
Recognizing these patterns is not about blame—it’s about empowerment. By becoming more aware of where emotions might be held in the body, you can begin to make choices that support your well-being.
Somatic work bridges the gap between awareness and action, helping the nervous system release stored tension at a pace that feels safe and manageable.
Somatic work focuses on nervous system regulation and the release of stored tension. It is not therapy and does not treat trauma directly but can help ease symptoms and support the body’s natural healing process.
What’s Next: Reclaiming Healthy Aggression
In the next installment of From Page to Practice, I’ll explore healthy aggression—an essential yet often misunderstood part of emotional health. Healthy aggression isn’t about harm or anger; it’s about asserting boundaries, expressing needs, and reclaiming your energy. I’ll share how somatic work can help you reconnect with this vital force and integrate it into your life.
