Emotional obesity is rather a new term that has been introduced by Laura Coe. The former vice president of a healthcare company turned author realised she was not fully content with her achievements; in fact, they were becoming burdensome with every passing day. This constant stress made her rethink about herself. After her philosophical research on such a mindset, she realised it was her own emotional weight that crippled her the whole time. This is when she came up with the term “Emotional Obesity”.

It is definitely not a new phenomenon. Like most mental and emotional issues, this term is also one that cannot be easily defined. To put it into easier terms, Laura Coe has compared emotional obesity with layers of fat in our body, from which we get the term “obesity”. It is remarked as the layers of emotional baggage, criticism, trauma, ideas, judgments and personal thoughts that are bulged inside our minds for a long time that result in unavoidable emotional exhaustion. In fact, the obesity of emotions is just as negatively impactful as physical obesity, but the difference lies in that emotional obesity is not visible to the naked eye and affects in the long run.

LIFE WITH EMOTIONAL WEIGHT
Most of us go about our day without realising exactly how much we suppress our feelings just to avoid unnecessary conflicts and sometimes to fit in with our peer group. From academic stress in childhood to social behavioural impact in adulthood, negative emotions are often kept hidden. Even though the impact of suppressed emotions may remain quite vague in childhood, it takes a more severe turn later in life. When years of clustered emotions finally become too heavy to carry, we lose interest in most of our everyday activities, questioning our every move and decision. This ultimately results in less productivity in every aspect of our lives, whether it’s work or home. This constant battle with our own emotions often makes us feel defeated.

The most overwhelming effect of emotional obesity can be self-doubt, guilt and inconsistency of expectations and outcomes. When our idea of a certain matter does not align with others, it awakes a sense of guilt and self-doubt. The feeling of too many unexpressed emotions can make it hard to express even the simplest idea. It is the failure to meet our own expectations that makes it even harder to navigate in the right direction.

Having to carry too many thoughts and emotions often results in intellectual unavailability. Emotional baggage can obstruct the capability to handle simple situations in which others can easily or cause the loss of enthusiasm and problem-solving ability. Sometimes, the constant need for validation hinders simple activities, making us feel drained even when there is no specific reason.

A ROAD TO CURE EMOTIONAL OBESITY
Emotional obesity cannot be measured by any scale, which makes it even harder to recognise, but it is a feeling many of us can relate to, as it is human nature to suppress negative sentiments while highlighting the good ones. In order to lessen the weight of our emotions, it is very important to address its presence first. It is essential to understand that every emotion is equally significant, whether it’s good or bad. In the way we celebrate happy feelings, it is important to let the bad sentiments take their time to heal, too.

Emotional obesity takes place over the course of a very long period. It is really the small instances of our everyday life that can be a reason for it. Whenever there is an inconvenience, instead of trying to make things plausible for us, we suppress our emotions by saying, “I might be wrong” or “This is how life works out”, and this is something that has to be worked on. Whether it is at our workplace or at home, instead of avoiding negative emotions, it is better to look for simple solutions. If matters are not too serious, it is okay not to be bothered by them. We have to accept that not every thought is worth dwelling on.

The best way to cure the obesity of emotions might be to know ourselves. It might sound strange, but many of us are not aware of our own emotions as we have always been taught to negotiate with ourselves while offering the best to others. But in order to obtain emotional relief it is important to identify what and who bothers us. Whenever things become hard to process, we can ask ourselves a simple question “Am I satisfied with this?” The varying answers to this question will help with self-reflection.
After everything, there is always the option of seeking help. When feeling overwhelmed, it is okay to talk to the close ones or consult a professional.

Addressing emotional obesity is not about perfection but progress. We should keep in mind that it is okay to have negative sentiments, but it’s wrong to neglect them. In fact, acknowledging their presence while constantly working on them is what helps to cope with emotions. The key is to self-reflect and keep going.

Emotional obesity is rather a new term that has been introduced by Laura Coe. The former vice president of a healthcare company turned author realised she was not fully content with her achievements; in fact, they were becoming burdensome with every passing day. This constant stress made her rethink about herself. After her philosophical research on such a mindset, she realised it was her own emotional weight that crippled her the whole time. This is when she came up with the term “Emotional Obesity”.

It is definitely not a new phenomenon. Like most mental and emotional issues, this term is also one that cannot be easily defined. To put it into easier terms, Laura Coe has compared emotional obesity with layers of fat in our body, from which we get the term “obesity”. It is remarked as the layers of emotional baggage, criticism, trauma, ideas, judgments and personal thoughts that are bulged inside our minds for a long time that result in unavoidable emotional exhaustion. In fact, the obesity of emotions is just as negatively impactful as physical obesity, but the difference lies in that emotional obesity is not visible to the naked eye and affects in the long run.

LIFE WITH EMOTIONAL WEIGHT
Most of us go about our day without realising exactly how much we suppress our feelings just to avoid unnecessary conflicts and sometimes to fit in with our peer group. From academic stress in childhood to social behavioural impact in adulthood, negative emotions are often kept hidden. Even though the impact of suppressed emotions may remain quite vague in childhood, it takes a more severe turn later in life. When years of clustered emotions finally become too heavy to carry, we lose interest in most of our everyday activities, questioning our every move and decision. This ultimately results in less productivity in every aspect of our lives, whether it’s work or home. This constant battle with our own emotions often makes us feel defeated.

The most overwhelming effect of emotional obesity can be self-doubt, guilt and inconsistency of expectations and outcomes. When our idea of a certain matter does not align with others, it awakes a sense of guilt and self-doubt. The feeling of too many unexpressed emotions can make it hard to express even the simplest idea. It is the failure to meet our own expectations that makes it even harder to navigate in the right direction.

Having to carry too many thoughts and emotions often results in intellectual unavailability. Emotional baggage can obstruct the capability to handle simple situations in which others can easily or cause the loss of enthusiasm and problem-solving ability. Sometimes, the constant need for validation hinders simple activities, making us feel drained even when there is no specific reason.

A ROAD TO CURE EMOTIONAL OBESITY
Emotional obesity cannot be measured by any scale, which makes it even harder to recognise, but it is a feeling many of us can relate to, as it is human nature to suppress negative sentiments while highlighting the good ones. In order to lessen the weight of our emotions, it is very important to address its presence first. It is essential to understand that every emotion is equally significant, whether it’s good or bad. In the way we celebrate happy feelings, it is important to let the bad sentiments take their time to heal, too.

Emotional obesity takes place over the course of a very long period. It is really the small instances of our everyday life that can be a reason for it. Whenever there is an inconvenience, instead of trying to make things plausible for us, we suppress our emotions by saying, “I might be wrong” or “This is how life works out”, and this is something that has to be worked on. Whether it is at our workplace or at home, instead of avoiding negative emotions, it is better to look for simple solutions. If matters are not too serious, it is okay not to be bothered by them. We have to accept that not every thought is worth dwelling on.

The best way to cure the obesity of emotions might be to know ourselves. It might sound strange, but many of us are not aware of our own emotions as we have always been taught to negotiate with ourselves while offering the best to others. But in order to obtain emotional relief it is important to identify what and who bothers us. Whenever things become hard to process, we can ask ourselves a simple question “Am I satisfied with this?” The varying answers to this question will help with self-reflection.
After everything, there is always the option of seeking help. When feeling overwhelmed, it is okay to talk to the close ones or consult a professional.

Addressing emotional obesity is not about perfection but progress. We should keep in mind that it is okay to have negative sentiments, but it’s wrong to neglect them. In fact, acknowledging their presence while constantly working on them is what helps to cope with emotions. The key is to self-reflect and keep going.

Author: JARIN SUBAH TURABA