The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

What happens when you ignore your stress? I found out the hard way.

Changing old habits is not easy, but I am learning to sit with difficult emotions longer

Perspective by
Lily contributor
October 23, 2019 at 12:53 p.m. EDT
(Connie Sun/For The Washington Post)

Many of us learn to be tough and resilient under stress, which serves us well in our daily lives. The only catch is that these “superpowers” can become weaknesses if we rely on them too much.

When I say “I’m fine” too quickly, I am often masking the true impact hard emotions and stress have on my body. That’s when “toughing it out” starts to have diminishing returns. Compartmentalizing and suffering through emotional discomfort can have mental and physical costs over time.

Changing old habits is not easy, but I am learning to sit with difficult emotions longer and to listen harder to what they are trying to tell me.