From the time I was a little girl until a few years ago, I always changed the radio station when a song came on that made me feel sad.
I didn’t want to feel nostalgic or upset so I would switch it to a happy song every time a tear jerker wafted through the speakers.
Back then it was Stevie Nicks’ Landslide that would make me feel too much, and cry if I was somewhere I couldn’t switch it – like a restaurant or Abercrombie & Fitch (I owned, like, the entire store in high school).
Landslide still makes me cry. The difference now? I let it play through.
Why?
Because now I know there’s something that needs to be processed if tears come up.
And I know it’ll manifest in other ways (hello shoulder tension and belly fat) if I try to stop it.
By switching the station, I was pushing down my emotions.
If a song makes you cry, there’s an emotion inside you that needs to come out and be fully expressed through tears, or rage, or melancholy.
If it’s not expressed, it’ll show up as sadness, anger, depression, excess weight, bloating, and/or anxiety (usually it’s all of the above, TBH).
Why? If you ignore your emotions by blasting a happy song and pretending to be psyched, physical tension builds up in your body.
If you push down your feelings or don’t allow yourself to fully process a tragic event, like a death in the family, it’s probably the reason you’re still hanging on to uncomfortable belly fat, and feeling kind of mehhh on a daily basis (if you’re honest with yourself) – even though your life and career look great on paper.
Have you noticed how relaxed and light you feel after a good cry?
That translates to a lighter physical body.
How?
Releasing emotion engages your parasympathetic nervous system, or rest and digest system, allowing you to metabolize your food quickly and release excess weight with ease.
You’ll also feel happier as you release emotion on a regular basis, and therefore be more likely to choose nourishing foods and hit the gym, yoga studio, or dance floor.
“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands, they just don’t.”
Ok, that’s an extreme example of suppressed emotion, but I’ll use any excuse to reference Legally Blonde.
Don’t lie, you love it. 😉
Here’s what I want you to do today:
- Blast the song that brings up the most emotion for you.
- Let yourself cry full-out. If you notice anger, scream or hit a pillow.
- Journal about it. Write down why you’re sad, angry, or scared (or all of the above).
- Rest. After releasing, lay down with a relaxing book or just for a nap.
- Shower. Rinse away the residual emotions, wiping the slate clean.
Trust me, you’ll feel like a new person – lighter and happier.
If you do this regularly (I recommend weekly), you’ll naturally let go of weight your body and psyche don’t need.
Do you switch the station when sad songs come on or let ’em rip?
When do you plan to go through my 5-step emotional release formula?
Leave a comment below and tell me.
So much love and hugs,
Lula
omg, on SOOO many levels!!! Thank you, AGAIN!! And you get the shower at the end, I can’t go without that necessary step and showers are one of the things i’m so grateful for. I also am an avoider to a large extent, I have to be in a safe place, ie, alone, before I give in. And I never saw that connection, rest and digest, i love it!!! 😀 Love the perfect timing of this post. xoxo
Haven’t seen that movie, thanks for the reminder! Love you, Goddess!!
Thank you SO much for reading! You are so welcome <3 It's my pleasure. Love ya too lady! xoxo
Lula you’ve really hit the spot, this is a great reminder to release. Thank you. I love that you’ve explained to take a shower and clear the emotional residue.
Fiona! I’m so happy this resonates for you. Beautiful. Let me know how it feels to go through the 5-step process.
Thank you so much for reading. It means the world to me.
Sending love & hugs to you!
XO
Thank you for this! I’ve noticed that in the hustle and bustle of what “needs” to be done, I choose not to cry cause I know I’ll need a week to release and decompress! And I have 3-4 years of holding everything in. Maybe longer. So thank you. Very insightful!
Mmmm yes I feel you! So good to let it out in the moment, whenever possible. Sending you love!
Amaizing article. I will find the time to do that at least once a week. Reading it I immidiately had a song coming to my mind. Not that i avoid it but it is true that it makes me super emotional about a subject but i’ve never journal about it, rest and took a shower after it.
Thanks again
Thank you Candice! I’m so glad this resonated for you. Sending much love! XO
Hello there! I am wondering if this works in reverse as well. It seems like whenever I start losing weight, old anxieties, bad memories and negative emotions — stuff I haven’t thought about for years, even decades — come burbling up, like they were being physically stored in my body (body fat, that is!), and now their home has been razed and they’re forced to move on. That’s the best way I can explain it. Am just wondering if others experience this, and if there are any studies in this phenomenon.
Yes, Adele!
In my opinion this is absolutely true. We store lots of emotions, memories, and trauma in our bodies.
We can also use overeating / weight to numb out, so as we begin to eat in alignment and the weight falls off, we can become more sensitive to and aware of our emotions. It’s like we don’t have that buffer anymore.
I don’t know of any studies on this, I think it would be hard to quantify! But if you find any, please share them with me.
Thanks for commenting!
XO,
Lula
Ive had a very traumatic experience ten years ago. I immediately piled on the weight. I work out or walk daily, yet I seem to always reach for food carbs that I don’t need. I am becoming so unhappy and not going out because I am ashamed. I have read trauma can make you insulin resistant. Now 43 I am worried about it getting worse. I need a formula that works once and for all.
Oh Aisha, I’m sending you so much love!
I’m so sorry you had that experience, and I hope what I’ve shared here is helpful.
Thank you so much for sharing what’s going on for you in the aftermath, and I’m so proud of you for seeking support – you don’t have to do this alone.
XO,
Lula