# 146 - The Importance of Processing Your Emotions (Not Managing Them Away)

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In today’s episode of The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast, we explore something deeply foundational to mental health, relationships, and identity: emotional processing.

Not managing emotions.
Not suppressing them.
Not intellectualizing them away.

But allowing emotions to move through the body so they can integrate rather than accumulate.

We talk about why unprocessed emotions don’t disappear - they leak into the body, the nervous system, our thinking, and our relationships - and how chronic emotional suppression is linked to anxiety, burnout, numbness, and cognitive fatigue. 

Drawing from psychology, neuroscience, trauma research, and attachment theory, this episode breaks down what emotional processing actually means and why resistance drains more energy than feeling ever could.

This episode offers grounded, psychology-informed ways to let emotions like sadness, anger, fear, and grief complete their natural cycles - without overwhelm, avoidance, or self-judgment. If you’ve ever felt emotionally foggy, exhausted from “holding it together,” or disconnected from your body, this conversation is for you. 

📚 References & Learning Resources

• Brown, B. (2021). Atlas of the Heart
• May, K. (2020). Wintering
• van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score
• Lieberman, M. et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling and the amygdala
• Pennebaker, J. (1997). Expressive writing and emotional processing
• Porges, S. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory

🧠 Mental Health & Emotional Support Resources

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (U.S.) – Call or text 988
• Psychology Today Therapist Directory – https://www.psychologytoday.com
  
  
• Somatic Experiencing International – https://traumahealing.org
  
  
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – https://www.nami.org
  
  

(If you’re outside the U.S., please check local crisis and mental-health services in your country.)

⚠️ Gentle Disclaimer

The Lemon Tree Coaching Podcast is for educational and reflective purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or medical treatment. Each listener’s experience is unique. Please take what resonates, leave what doesn’t, and care for yourself with compassion. If you’re experiencing significant distress or feel unsafe, seek support from a licensed mental-health professional or local emergency services.