In This Episode:
Annaliese and Alan talk about how important even really difficult feelings are to our quality of life, and how learning to feel them , listen to them, and navigate them grows our emotional maturity. Annaliese brings up how building emotional maturity is what helps you have inner stability in what you go through in life by practicing tolerating discomfort, recognizing a bigger perspective in the highs and lows of life, and letting that practice change how you’re handling it.
You’ll Hear About:
- Emotional maturity lifts you up and grounds you. It helps you feel stable in low moments and more balanced in high ones. It’s about meeting your needs in a healthy, supportive way that you’re confident in, no matter what others think.
- Creating space between you and your feelings. Strong emotions, like anger, can feel overwhelming, as if it will take over. Emotional maturity lets you pause and ask, “Why does this bother me? What did that person probably mean?” This pause and curiosity creates a healthy separation, showing you that you can respond thoughtfully instead of being controlled by the feeling.
- Creating less emotional chaos. Avoiding your emotions can feel like managing a giant iceberg of chaos beneath the surface. Practicing emotional maturity is when you instead face your feelings, listen and learn from them, and act in support of what you need. Over time, this habit reduces the overwhelm and builds stability.
- Your calm inspires others. Emotional maturity brings confidence and peace. Chaos and drama are contagious, and so is peace and calm. When you act more these calm, confident ways, others will also be invited to notice and respond more like this too, creating healthier, calmer interactions all the way around.
Your Free Coaching Call:
-Experience coaching with Annaliese for yourself! Visit www.linktree.com/coachannaliese to schedule your FREE, 1-hour Discovery Chat. Share your story with Annaliese and she'll help you gain helpful tips to make real changes in your life.
WHAT EMOTIONAL MATURITY FEELS LIKE:
- Breathe and slow down. Simple, physical action is a key to building emotional maturity. Practice doing this daily and notice how it feels as you experience your day.
- Pausing with purpose. When you notice emotional sensations starting in your body, step into that small gap between feeling and reacting. Take that micro-moment of awareness to remind yourself that you’re in control. Responding instead of reacting helps you handle your emotional energy wisely, helping you live with more confidence and resilience, and fewer regrets.
- Shifting negative stories in your head. When uncomfortable feelings pull you into negative thoughts about you, remind yourself of the truth: You are wise, you’re the adult, and you can choose to act like your authentic self. Feel what it’s like to add this truth to what you’re experiencing.
- Living from your core values. Focus more intentionally on what matters most to you and the qualities you want to be—like respectful, calm, or kind. Emotional maturity helps you act in ways that align with your values and still meet your own needs without judgement or sacrificing who you want to be.
WAYS TO PRACTICE EMOTIONAL MATURITY:
- Emotions are here to help. Pause and listen to your emotions instead of reacting to them. Reacting isn’t the same as feeling. When a strong emotion shows up, choose to slow down and listen to the feeling until it begins to ease.
- Knowing isn’t doing. Understanding emotional maturity doesn’t mean you’re acting maturely. Take a moment to breathe into an uncomfortable emotion, notice the story you’re telling yourself, and lead yourself to choose a wiser, more intentional response.
- Pause when you’re unsettled. If you don’t feel calm or steady, resist rushing to judgment or being overly critical. Practice curiosity with yourself, slow down, and allow yourself to feel the emotion while noticing the story behind it.
If you've felt like you want to live more intentionally, but honestly wouldn't know where to start, I hope you'll take this invitation to listen in - emotional maturity is a huge stepping stone to being who you want to be!
