In our culture, it can be easy to intellectualize our emotions, processing them in our mind, rather than feeling them with our bodies. What is a word or phrase you can say to yourself as a reminder to feel your emotions fully?
this <question> appeared in one of the weekly newsletter the organization <i> <work / labor> for sends out. it’s <sitting / landing> with <me> a bit awkwardly. <i> <know> that <I> am really good at intellectualizing <my feelings> after the fact, but <i> needed to do some <reflecting> to think through <if / how> <i> <embody feelings> in the moment.
as an <autistic being> who used to <over-embody> emotions as a child — <i> would cry for every single emotion — it took a lot of learning <regulation skills> to stop the instant <embodiment> of tears. there was a lot of <practice> in holding back until <i> was in a <comfortable / safe> place to let them out. now <i> <worry / fear> that <i> overcompensated. <i> can <feel / sense> the emotion <clinging> to <me> internally; and <they> are large and block <my> ability to <verbally communicate> until the intensity of them has <died> down.
that said, <i> do find that <words> also fail in helping <me> <embody my emotions> enough to reach a place of <productive> communication. in order to <embody> <I> need to connect to <my body> via movement. deep breaths are the first step in <regulation>, followed by a movement that is based on what <emotion> is being worked through. <anxiety / uncertainty> can be eased through with rocking — standing or sitting — and fidgeting with <things>. <sadness / anger> usually work through my body faster if <i> do harder physical movement — <nothing> felt quite as nice as roller derby practice for working through the oscillating <anger / sadness> of <pms>. and for <happiness / joy> bouncing is <my> <unmasked embodiment>.
if <i> had to use a <verbal> reminder to work through <my> <embodiment>, something like <move / un-still> might work. <i> will have to give it a <try>.
Do Androids Dream of Dick? Writings of a Queer Posthumanist 