Your emotions are your 6th sense. They’re full of all kinds of information. Problem is it’s all in code.

Crack to code by becoming emotionally literate. Get emotionally literate not just to feelings in general although that helps. Learn your own emotional language. 

To crack your emotional code first learn what feelings you’re having. Pay attention to you. Tune into yourself. What are you feeling in your body? Is it a good/pleasurable feeling or is it a bad/painful feeling? When does your mood shift? Is it going up or down? 

Next put a name to your emotional experience. Joy, happiness, sad, hurt, disgust, grief, excitement, guilt, shame, empathy, anger, surprise, confusion, hunger, dissociation, tired, desire, boredom…

What is that feeling telling you? Guilt might tell you that you’ve done something against your own values. Anger might be saying someone’s crossed a line with you. Shame might be telling you that you need to change something. Hurt could mean that you need self-care or protection or healing. Anxiety might be alerting you to danger. 

It’s important to know if your emotional communication system is well calibrated. Some of the things that can cause your 6th sense to misfire could be substance use, sleep deprivation, illness, malnutrition, depression, anxiety disorders, injuries. Some old coping mechanisms can also interfere with our emotional data stream. These might include denial, projection, commitment to a victim position in our relationships, and more. 

If your emotional system is out of whack sleep, diet, exercise, medicine, meditation, prayer, therapy all might help. A mental health pro can help you put a plan together that works for you. 

Crack the code and your feelings will tell you what you need to do, what choice to make, and what direction to head. With your 6th sense you’ll better understand who you are and what kind of life you want.