It’s not news to anyone that feeling bad—frustrated, anxious, sad, or depressed—isn’t ideal. If we could choose between feeling happy or irritated, it’s safe to assume that most of us would choose the former. But the thing about emotions is that they’re never so black and white—and often, they’re not in our control, either. It's true for us all, but it's especially true if you're dealing with clinical depression or another mental health condition.
What if instead of trying to change our unwanted emotions, we accepted them? What if we acknowledged both our positive and negative emotions without putting pressure on what those feelings are, or designating them as good or bad? What if, instead of wishing we were happier, or pretending that we’re feeling good when we’re not, we began to accept all the feels? It's easier said than done, but recent research suggests that embracing every emotion, "good" or "bad," is important for your wellbeing.
That's what Shine, a startup that sends users a daily motivational text, wants us to do. The company just launched All the Feels, a campaign during Mental Health Awareness Month to remind us to embrace every emotion, including those negative ones that you may feel like you need to hide or ignore. (You can sign up for Shine by visiting the company's website or texting FEELS to 759-85.)
In exploring how people accept all their feels, Shine teamed up with The Confetti Project to produce a photo series highlighting successful creatives as they discuss what it means to grapple with every emotion. What’s it like to have all the feels while you play in a pile of confetti? Check out the photo series below to find out.
