People handle situations in different ways. Some people choose to bottle up their feelings. While this might work, others need to express themselves so that they don't bubble up with emotion. Keeping it to themselves may work for some people, but it's never a good idea to just hold it all in. If you prefer to not talk to someone about what you are feeling or dealing with, then you should find a specific outlet that allows you to relieve stress. Some of the best ways that people deal with their stress is getting creative or active.

Letting it out is essential to growing into a person you want to be, and you should let it out in any form that best suits you.

Even though there are many ways people express or handle their emotions, I'm going to talk about a way that may seem frightening — talking to a professional therapist.

Going to talk to a professional may seem like a weird concept. After all, you may have people in your life that you trust and can talk to about anything, but I can tell you for certain that talking to a professional is just not the same. A therapist has been trained to talk to you. They will listen to you and make sure you understand that they are hearing from you. Therapy is such a good way to release feelings, emotions, thoughts, and everything that is swirling inside you. It's not just you talking the entire time (it can be if you want it to be though!). The therapist will also ask you questions if you cannot find anything to say. These questions usually make you step back and evaluate things and these can be such an eye-opener!

My own experience with therapy really shaped me into a better, more open person.

My first time going was nerve-wracking, I didn't know how I was going to talk for an hour and open up to some stranger. I sat in the waiting lounge and all I wanted to do was get up, put away the magazine I was reading and walk out the door. And as I was about to do that, the door opened and I was welcomed by a warm smile. In that instant, some of the nerves washed away and I sat down and started talking. Before I knew it, the hour was up and I still had so much to say.

After a few weeks of going, therapy really helped me evolve as a person. Sometimes I wouldn't have anything to say, but that was OK because once I was greeted with a warm smile, everything felt just a tiny bit better. My therapist would ask me questions that led to some breakthroughs in how I deal with stressful situations and how I can handle them better. It helped me understand myself better, and I've noticed that if a person has an understanding of who they are and have a good sense of identity, they tend to enjoy life more.

That's what happened to me — therapy allowed me to enjoy my life more. And it can do the same for you.

Therapy may get a bad rep sometimes. Some people think that when a person goes to therapy, they are weak for not being able to handle certain things about life. But I can tell you that you are not weak for wanting to get better or to just let everything out to an unbiased professional. You are not weak for wanting to understand yourself more. You are not weak for having emotions. You are strong for wanting to be happy and live the life you want.

You are strong no matter what you do — just know that there are people out there who do care about you and your well-being!