Stop Pretending to Be Happy

"So many of us are faking it. We're gritting our teeth and pretending to be OK, faking smiles and feigning interest. Happiness is often viewed as an achievement, the cumulative effect of an individual doing the work. But it's a myth. We can't fake the funk. Emotions come and go. We can't walk them off or hurry them along when we don't first acknowledge and accept that they're real."

"Many studies have demonstrated the downsides of emotional suppression. People experience more negative affect and biological distress when holding their emotions in. Participants who were primed to accept emotions experienced less negative affect and a lowered heart rate after watching an emotional film. By accepting their emotions as they happened, the emotional acceptance group felt better faster."

"We bottle up our anger, only to feel worse longer and later. We soldier on, instead of accepting we're struggling, staying mired in our grief. Many of us maintain that stiff upper lip for other people. We bury our emotions for the good of our family or friends."

Many individuals suppress their emotions and pretend to be happy, believing happiness is an achievement. This myth leads to emotional suppression, which can cause prolonged negative feelings and biological distress. Studies show that accepting emotions results in less negative affect and quicker recovery to a neutral state. Emotional incongruence, where feelings do not match expressions, can trigger nervous system responses. Accepting emotions allows for healthier emotional processing and helps individuals move through their feelings more effectively.

Read at Psychology Today