The emotion that you cannot label......

I asked a client how she was coping with everything.

She smiled and said, "Yeah, I'm okay… just feel a bit off." When I dug deeper, it wasn't about one particular thing.

It wasn't one thing. It was everything. She just felt this feeling and emotion that she just could not label or express. That feeling you get when you want to express but you do not know how? Sound familiar? So I went deeper......

A pile of half-finished tasks at work and study notes at home......

Doubts she felt inside that she hadn't voiced to anyone.

Frustrations in her personal life that had been pushed down - but never actually dealt with.

This is how overwhelm creeps in. Not from the workload or study itself, but from what's been buried and left unsaid.

Unexpressed thoughts, worries, and feelings don't just disappear. They stay active in your nervous system - they show up in other unexpected ways. They create anxiety and negative thinking. Your brain sees them as something you need to sort out before you can move forward. Remember our brains are trying to keep us constantly safe.

Our brains are constantly scanning for emotional importance. When something hasn't been resolved or spoken about, it gets flagged as incomplete (just like that task at work). Your working memory then continues carrying it around - creating mental clutter and raising your stress levels which in turn causes tiredness. This isn't just emotional baggage. It's congestion in your brain and nervous system. This is why it is so important to have some form of silence in your day. Often we do not want to sit in silence because we do not want to connect with how we are really feeling. Trust me when I say it is a game changer.

Instead of trying to power through the fog, name it.

Try this:

Set a timer and write this sentence at the top of a page:

"What I haven't said out loud is…"

Then keep writing.

Don't edit it. Don't try to solve it. Just name what you are carrying. What is really bothering you.

By giving words to the uneasy feeling you are feeling - it helps move it from your body to your conscious mind - and give your brain permission to release it rather than trying to ignore it.

Clarity isn't always about finding solutions.

Sometimes it starts with simply hearing your own thoughts.

This is why I love my coaching sessions with my clients.... we get to the truth and this truth is often the thing holding you back.

So make a date with yourself and sit in silence.......see what comes up.

Merinda x