Emotions come in all shapes and sizes – and we all feel them differently. A common theme that runs in most of us is that certain emotions are ‘bad,’ unpleasant or to be avoided. It’s possible that we try to run away from difficult emotions because they feel disturbing and scary. Here are three ways to check if you are running from difficult feelings:

1.      You try to distract yourself constantly.

You are the fun seeker, the excitement enthusiast, and for you, there should be something to do at all times. What are you running from?

2.      You try to be happy and positive at all times

Do you try to ‘think positive’ and escape from harsh realities? Do you reject negative emotions, sad movies, and upsetting news, and try to exclusively look at the ‘bright side’ of things? What are you running from?

3.      You find it difficult to sit alone

Do your thoughts seem too scary or upsetting when you are alone? Do you seek the company of others as much as possible? What are you running from?

Running from any emotion doesn’t really help in feeling good. The problem is that emotions tend to catch up, no matter how fast we run or how hard we try to avoid them. We could run all our lives and still feel stuck with difficult-to-handle emotions like anger, guilt, jealousy, and so on.

Any suggestions on what we can do to stop running away from our emotions?