How To Express Your Emotions Better: 12 Practical Strategies

Today you’re going to learn how to express your emotions better.

You may be wondering what someone meant when they advised you to “open up more” or “show more emotion.” It is all too easy for us to lose ourselves in our own little worlds and hide our emotions from others. We don’t always realize that we are being careful or suppressing our emotions.

Even if it’s not intentional, hiding emotions makes it difficult to connect with others and can lead to long-term problems if we can’t express or communicate what we’re feeling. You will discover how wonderful and stimulating it is to connect on a deeper level if you can open up to people more!

How To Express Your Emotions Better:

1. Take a moment to analyze your feelings as they arise.

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the emotions you are experiencing. Reflect on what you are feeling and allow those emotions to flow through you. If you take a moment to understand what you are feeling, you will find it easier to express your feelings.

By doing this, you can become more aware of how emotions affect your thinking.

If we realize that we often get angry at others when we are not in control of ourselves, we may be able to avoid unproductive reactions in the future.

2. When feelings arise, name them.

Naming your emotions helps you understand them. Give emotions names once you feel comfortable with them. Is the tightness in your stomach a sign of excitement or anxiety? Are you bored, apathetic, or happy if you don’t feel anything, especially movement? This routine will increase your self-awareness. It will also help you express your emotions.

Avoid exaggeration. Are you worried about the fate of the company, or did you really “dislike” it? Did you enjoy the business meeting? Was the dinner tasty, or on the contrary, did you “love” it? Even if your emotions are really strong, recognizing them accurately can help you stay in control.

3. Write down your emotions.

Self-reflection in written form will help you develop emotional intelligence. Keeping a regular journal is one way to increase your ability to open up emotionally to people. Think of it as a special place where you can be open and honest. Each day, write a few sentences about your day and how you are feeling. This will help you observe your emotions over time and make you more aware of yourself.

It is also helpful to write down your feelings on a daily basis. Writing down your disappointments and joys is a great way to prevent a nightly rush of thoughts.

4. Make a habit of matching your facial expressions to your emotions.

If you are aware of your facial expressions, expressing how you feel is easy! Smiling, grimacing, or furrowing your brow is a great way to convey emotion without saying words. Allow yourself to quit masking or suppressing emotions in public. Laugh when you are happy and frown when you are sad.

Try not to be embarrassed by your facial expressions because they are very normal.

SEE ALSO: How To Develop Life Skills: What Are The 19 Essential Life Skills?

5. Change your body language to express your feelings.

How you communicate is greatly influenced by your nonverbal behavior. To appear relaxed and open, face the interviewer and make eye contact. It can also make you seem more open, sociable, and willing to talk.

If you don’t feel comfortable and want to be alone, hide your head and hands.

This is very important when you’re looking for a job, trying to network, or going on a first date. If you appear closed off and don’t make eye contact (1), you may appear anxious or worried.

6. Change the pitch of your voice to emphasize your feelings.

Control the volume of your voice to emphasize your feelings. Increase the volume of your voice if you are trying to show anger or enthusiasm. Reduce the volume of your voice if you are trying to convey fear, anxiety, or submission. To improve your ability to describe your feelings effectively, practice controlling your voice level when talking to others.

People’s voice level has a huge impact on how others perceive our feelings, yet people rarely think about it.

7. Try to share your emotions with others every day.

Talk to your loved ones about your daily activities. If you see them every day, talk briefly with your spouse, partner, or family. These brief encounters are a great way to open up and get used to talking about your feelings. You will find it much easier to cope with difficult times and much more enjoyable to appreciate the good ones if you freely communicate your daily experiences.

Communication must be a two-way street. Pay attention to what people are saying when they express their feelings.

Instead of coming home after work and immediately turning on the TV, take 5–10 minutes to talk to your spouse or roommate. 

8. Use small talk to make connections.

When close friends ask, “How are you?”, answer honestly. If you are one of those people who constantly answers, “I’m fine” when a close friend or family member asks how you’re doing, stop! Instead of ignoring such questions, use them as an opportunity to open up and express your thoughts. People care about you and will be happy when you open up, even if you think they don’t really want to know how you feel.

It may not be polite to speak all your thoughts when a stranger or friend asks how you’re feeling. However, being honest with close friends and family is a great thing!

SEE ALSO: How To Overcome Laziness And Finally Take Action: 26 Hacks

9. Gratitude is expressed by complimenting others.

One of the most effective ways to express emotions is to express gratitude. It is also an important aspect of building and maintaining positive relationships. If you want to express emotions more often, a large part of your conversations will be about your experiences and emotions. Spreading gratitude is a great way to express yourself while also helping those around you!

If verbal communication is not your strong suit, express yourself through gifts! Buy flowers or chocolates for a loved one. Invite a close friend over for dinner. Giving gifts, even if they are not expensive, is a great way to show you care about others.

For example, if a co-worker has prepared a great presentation, take him or her aside after the meeting and praise their work.

If your partner prepared a delicious meal, praise them and tell them how much you enjoyed the dish. Say “thank you” and express your gratitude for the food he prepared for you.

10. Set and enforce boundaries when interacting with others.

If someone offends you or crosses a boundary, firmly rebuke them. Some people let unpleasant feelings build up until they explode. When you are upset or frustrated, admonish yourself in the friendliest way possible to prevent it. Not only will you feel better, but you will also be able to resolve any issues before they escalate.

11. Accept that something isn’t going well.

Allow yourself to be vulnerable by expressing negative emotions. By sharing your fears, anxieties, and concerns with others, you show that you trust them. If something is bothering you, tell your spouse, close friend or family member. It’s tempting to keep bad emotions separate, but that makes it harder to talk about them later. It can also give the impression that you are hiding something.

Never be ashamed to express your feelings to others. It may feel humiliating or scary at first, but it will become much easier with time!

12. Participate in enjoyable activities that allow you to share your experiences with others.

To share happy feelings (2), do something you enjoy with people you care about. Go out to dinner with your family once a week. Take a cooking class with your partner or go for a daily 20-minute walk. When you are having fun with the people close to you, being emotionally open and expressing your feelings is much easier, and difficult conversations are much easier to put into perspective if you have built a good relationship.

Always express your happiness! Tell your loved one whenever you’re having a good day. If you only share bad news, it can be difficult for him or her.

I want to thank you for taking the time to read my article about how to express your emotions better. I sincerely hope its contents have been a good help to you.

Przemkas Mosky
Przemkas Mosky started Perfect 24 Hours in 2017. He is a Personal Productivity Specialist, blogger and entrepreneur. He also works as a coach assisting people to increase their motivation, social skills or leadership abilities. Read more here