Hi there,
It can be really frustrating not being able to put feelings into words. But you did really well to find an emoticon to express yourself with.
Some people find it easy to explain their feelings in words, while other people find it really tough and find that other ways work better for them. For example, by using our Creative tool you can create images out of pictures and words to express how you feel or whats going on in your life.
You can also use the Creative tool when youre talking to one of our counsellors in a 1-2-1 chat. They can ask you questions about your picture to help understand whats going on for you and help you put it into words. And if you arent sure how to put that into words, they can find other ways to help you express yourself. There are other ways to express feelings through creative activities such as music, writing and drama. Anything allows you to get creative can be really helpful.
Learning to express emotions can take some practice. Maybe you have people in your life who you feel comfortable and safe talking about your feelings with. Or who show you how to do it by talking about their own feelings. But if you're not sure how youre feeling, it can be useful to listen to your body. Sometimes our body can give us some really good clues about our feelings.
It might be useful to think about how your body feels when you are sad, angry, scared or happy. If you listen to your body, it can teach you to stay in touch with your feelings. There are lots of positive ways to express feelings sometimes it is just about finding what works for you.
I dont know if youve ever spoken to a counsellor. Talking about a problem through with someone can be really helpful and you dont have to know how you feel to get support. Our message boards are also a good place to get support. You can talk to other young people about whats worrying you and find out if anyone has been through anything similar.
Its important that whatever's going on in life, you know that you dont have to manage it all on your own.
Take care,
Sam
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
You can ask me about anything you want, there's nothing too big or small. I read every single letter but I can only answer a few each week. My replies are published here on my page.
