Life tends to be chaotic and crazy, whether it’s because of politics, natural disasters, society diversions or just about anything. So in the midst of the chaos, how do we stay grounded? I’ve noticed in myself, as well as the people around me, that we tend to stay out of touch of with ourselves. We're always worrying about the future or the past, and sometimes, the present is forgotten. While tomorrow is a valid worry because nobody knows what’s going to happen, how can we make it to tomorrow if we can’t make it through today?

We are all different – emotions are processed and felt differently. At some point in life, you're going to feel anger, love, joy, fear and sadness as well as other emotions. The kicker is how they're processed, and how to deal with what they make us feel. How can we feel and accept our emotions but not allow them to overpower who we are? It's so incredibly important to be in touch with ourselves and to know what we are feeling and why. It is easy to be out of touch with ourselves because we feed into the chaos and the technology that surrounds us.

“The more you hide your feelings, the more they show. The more you deny your feelings, the more they grow." – Unknown

I was the queen of shutting off my emotions. They were always there, but I thought that shoving them down far enough would just make them go away. My way to cope became unhealthy and destructive. I’m a very sensitive person, and I feel things very intensely, so processing my emotions is important to my success. Although people may feel emotions at a different intensity, it doesn’t make them any less important. Being in touch with ourselves requires an ability to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and to think about things we don’t really want to think about. A common analogy is that having baggage refers to emotions as dragging around suitcases, and the only way they will disappear is to rip them open, and let them go.

Expressing emotions is one of the hardest things to do. It’s not easy to tell someone how you feel, but communication is so important. Being upfront and honest with someone allows no room for misunderstanding or hurt feelings. The best friendships I have are with people who I can communicate with freely and say what is on my mind and vice versa. Sometimes, in order to process your emotions, you have to get them out either by talking to someone or writing or expressing them in some way. Communication is a two-way street. In order to communicate in a healthy way, you should not only be able share your feelings but also be able to listen. People don't always have the same perspective, but by communicating, you can be respectful of a difference of opinion.