Let’s be real for a second: being human is messy.

Some days you feel like you’re on top of the world, and other days? It feels like the world is sitting on top of you. We’ve all had those moments where sadness, anger, or anxiety hits like a tidal wave. Our first instinct is often to build a dam—to stuff those feelings down, distract ourselves with doom-scrolling, or pretend “everything is fine” while our eye twitches involuntarily.

But here is the truth: Emotions demand to be felt.

Trying to bury them is like trying to hold a beach ball underwater. Eventually, it’s going to pop up with force—usually at the worst possible time. The secret to emotional well-being isn’t eliminating “bad” feelings; it’s learning how to surf the waves instead of drowning in them.

If you are looking for a healthier way to handle the highs and lows, here are five positive strategies to help you cope with emotions and come out stronger on the other side.

Name It to Tame It

It sounds simple, almost too simple, but psychology backs this up. When we are swirling in a storm of feelings, our brain’s amygdala (the alarm bell) is going haywire.

By specifically naming what you are feeling, you engage your prefrontal cortex—the logical part of your brain.

• Instead of saying “I feel awful,” try “I feel rejected.”
• Instead of “I’m stressed,” try “I feel overwhelmed by my to-do list.”

Try this: Next time you feel a chest-tightening emotion, pause and say out loud: “I am noticing that I feel [Emotion].” It creates a tiny bit of distance between you and the feeling, reminding you that you are the sky, and the emotion is just the weather.

Move the Energy Out

Have you ever noticed how animals “shake it off” after a stressful encounter? Humans need to do that too. Emotions are physiological events; they live in our bodies, not just our heads.

When you sit still and ruminate, that stress energy gets trapped. You don’t need to run a marathon (unless you want to!), but you do need to move.

• Dance to one obnoxiously loud song in your kitchen.
• Go for a brisk walk and focus on the rhythm of your feet.
• Stretch or do five minutes of yoga to release tension in your shoulders.

The goal isn’t fitness; it’s release.

The “Structured Venting” Session

Sometimes, you just need to complain. And that is okay! But there is a fine line between healthy venting and spiraling into negativity.

Enter: The Timer Trick.

Give yourself permission to wallow, cry, or rant for exactly 15 minutes. Write it all down in a journal or voice-memo it to a friend (with their permission!). Let it all out—the ugly, the irrational, the messy.

But when the timer goes off? You stop. You take a deep breath, wash your face, and pivot to the next part of your day. This honors the emotion without letting it move in and pay rent.

Channel It Into Creation

Some of the most beautiful art, music, and writing in history came from a place of deep emotion. You don’t have to be a professional artist to use creativity as a coping mechanism.

When we create, we take chaotic internal energy and give it an external form.

• Doodle or paint without worrying about the result.
• Cook a complex meal.
• Write a poem or a stream-of-consciousness page.

By making something, you prove to yourself that you can take difficult energy and transform it into something new.

Be Your Own Best Friend

Imagine your best friend came to you in tears, feeling exactly how you feel right now. Would you tell them to “suck it up”? Would you tell them they are weak?

Absolutely not. You would probably wrap them in a blanket, get them some water, and tell them, “It’s okay, this is really hard, but you’re going to get through it.”

Extend that same grace to yourself.

Self-compassion is the ultimate positive coping strategy. Acknowledge that suffering is part of the shared human experience. You aren’t broken for feeling this way; you’re just human.

The Takeaway

Coping with emotions isn’t about forcing a smile or “good vibes only.” It’s about honesty, movement, and grace.

The next time the wave hits, don’t fight it. Name it, move through it, and remember: No feeling is final. You have handled 100% of your bad days so far, and you have got this one, too.

How do you handle heavy emotions? Do you have a go-to song or routine that helps? Let me know in the comments below!