How to hide your emotions without letting others know what you're thinking

Lately I have often been asked the question: how to hide emotions? The fact is that there are moments in our lives when we prefer not to show feelings, because we are afraid that our friends or relatives will not like us. Although, there may be other reasons why you don't want to show your emotions. But there are certain situations where this may not be practical. By hiding emotions, I mean the following:

managing your anger;
maintaining calm;
hiding feelings of love for a person;
try to be less depressed;
be polite when we experience negative thoughts.

We will look at the main ways to hide emotions and feelings. And also when and why we should do it. I will stay away from advice such as “control your mind” or “stay calm.” In this article, you will find the exact steps you will need to take to control your feelings and know how to hide your emotions.

It is important to understand that not all feelings need to be bottled up. In some situations, it will be much more helpful to let go of your emotions and deal with them rather than suppress them.

Practical advice on how to hide emotions

1) Breathe deeply

In addition to supplying the body with oxygen, this will allow us to act calmly and consciously. Deep breathing stimulates the nervous system, which causes a relaxation response. This technique will give you more control over your body and help you cope with external stimuli more easily.

2) Don't move your eyebrows often

Unfortunately or fortunately, our eyes are the first to show our emotions. And by looking at them, you can say a lot about a person. Situations that make you feel angry, sad, or nervous are often accompanied by certain eyebrow movements. If you want to hide your feelings and emotions, stop moving your eyebrows and release the tension from your forehead.

How to manage your emotions? 7 ways to “save face”

Not everyone can master their own emotions perfectly. It is not always easy to respond correctly to the emotional attacks of others; sometimes feelings overwhelm you with such force that there is no way to stop them. And then the reaction turns out to be either too intense and inadequate, or something that should not be included is turned on. Is it possible to learn to manage your own emotional state? How to take control of your mood when it is so necessary?

Here are 7 ways to tame your feelings that will help you switch your internal lever to the desired wave. In other words, we will teach you how to manage your emotions.

Keep a calm face

Surely you have noticed how difficult it is for young children to control their own facial expressions? They grimace and move their eyebrows a lot, it is difficult for them to contain surprise or joy, which is why they lose their temper so quickly if something does not suit them or offends them. Children don't know how to control their faces! Relax your facial expressions, remove unnecessary folds, offended lips or furrowed eyebrows. You will be surprised how quickly this will align your internal state, restore self-control and determination to act.

Relax your muscle tension

Do you know why in the army soldiers are trained to be collected and stand at attention? Because the habit of keeping the body in a slack state, when arms and legs live some kind of separate life, interferes with self-control, makes a person weak and dependent. Assess yourself from the outside, is there any tightness in your body? Twitching your leg, tapping your fingers, stooping, and biting your lips reveal that you are a person who is not used to controlling his body. Remove the clamps, turn on the music, dance, relax, learn to track all body movements. This will make you the master of the situation.

Learn to control your thoughts

Thoughts are directly connected to the emotions we experience. We think about the bright and good - we trigger positive states in ourselves, pay attention to troubles - we automatically go into negativity. Wisdom is to remove the victim role from life, learn to turn unforeseen problems into feasible tasks, including active and creative attitudes in your mind. Work with your inner beliefs and your emotional response will change too!

Master the practice of breathing control

If emotions have already overwhelmed you, and it is useless to change your vision of the situation, it is better to switch to the rhythm of your breathing and try to correct it. You should try to replace short and shallow sips of air with slow and conscious inhalations and exhalations. To complete the effect, you can familiarize yourself with yoga practices for adjusting breathing, which will also help restore the energy of the body. Their whole essence comes down to sharp exhalations of air from the chest.

Use the "Emotion Key"

If indignation or anger has just begun to grow inside you, it can be easily removed by choosing the right emotional keys - changing your body pattern and facial mask. How it works? Imagine yourself as an actor on stage, asked to play the emotions of joy, surprise or indifference. What will you do? That's right, play. Clap your hands, smile or express delight. The same laws apply in real life: to alleviate the pressure of one emotion, switch your body to another. Relax, exhale, change your tone of voice, verbal formulations, remove the menacing expression on your face - and your internal state will also begin to level out. This is the key!

Get to know presence techniques

Another way to eliminate body twitches and get out of stress is to train mindful presence. This requires constant practice and the desire to analyze feelings, words and actions. Imagine that you are your own psychologist who closely monitors what his patient does, feels and thinks. Try to keep track of where your attention is scattered throughout the day, what hurts or pleases you, what causes this or that emotional reaction? Once you learn to identify the root causes of emotions, look at yourself from the outside, and control your own involvement in the process, you will be able to manage yourself.

Try to find internal benefits

Often we choose emotions that arise unexpectedly and seem beyond the control of the brain quite consciously, guided by some of our own internal motives. For example, having been offended by someone, we want to manipulate the person, demanding pleasant compensation. We need to try to understand the root causes of emotions, why we chose this particular feeling, how is it beneficial for us at the moment? Be honest with yourself, because even hysteria or anger have very specific motives. Only by realizing them can you change everything.

Remember, managing emotions is not difficult if you don’t let things take their course and track feelings as they arise. The main thing is a sincere desire to take control of your mood. Just set a task for yourself, and you will be surprised how quickly the body will understand who is boss in its house.

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When Should We Hide Our Emotions?

There are certain situations in which hiding our feelings can be beneficial. If you have had a difficult day at work, and you still have an important conversation ahead of you that you need to approach in a good mood, then you need to prepare yourself to show only positive emotions. Regulating your feelings changes other people's perceptions of you. The ability to manage your mood is a truly important aspect of an adult’s life. If you have an important interview, then be sure to get rid of any feelings of anger, resentment or sadness. With your children, you should also show only positive emotions and set an example for them on how to react correctly to certain situations.

Where to begin

For Olechka (that’s the name of the intern girl), the situation was as follows: her mother is about forty, she looks younger than her age, and at the same time she devotes a lot of time to caring for herself. Olechka told in detail how much pleasure her boyfriends give her mother when they confuse them on the phone.

With these words, we exchanged glances with one of our colleagues - just a year ago we discussed with her how quickly children grow, and how keenly we feel our age when they become adults. Here we knew what to recommend. But about dad it was even more interesting.

The fact is that our Olechka’s dad is a business man, it was he who insisted that she interning in our editorial office during the holidays and gaining experience, it was he who always emphasized that a woman should be independent. In general, the plan was ready.

For those whose situation is different, I will give the following advice - when you analyze the behavior of your parents, pay attention to the following:

what they want;
what they lack;
In what situations are they more comfortable with an adult child?

When you shouldn't hide your emotions

Sometimes, hiding feelings can be harmful. There are times when we really should express what we think so as not to be weak or seem insecure. There are times in life when people we know do the wrong thing. And if their behavior makes you feel a certain way, then showing emotion can be beneficial not only for you, but for them as well. If someone is trying to insult or humiliate you, you have the right to express how you feel. At this moment you should not suppress your feelings. It's the same in relationships. If you love another person, then hiding your love will definitely be inappropriate.

Hiding feelings and emotions when you shouldn't can be detrimental to your mental health, self-esteem and normal life. The most important thing you can do is learn to deal with them by expressing what you want.

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If your eyes twitch from fear, your lips tremble, and a person begins to stutter, it’s time to understand: he has the power to make his fears work for him. Such psychological sublimation can move mountains! You just need to change the direction.

1. If you don’t want to cry, you need to raise your eyes up and look around - at the lamp hanging from the ceiling, at the pear-shaped cloud. As one of the physical education teachers said in the series of the same name, when you want to cry, you can open your eyes. Let your opponent be afraid!

2. If anger comes up, you need to give it a way out. Just not as assault. You can ask for a minute's break and go to another room. And here... Squat or do push-ups until you drop. With such shaky nerves, your figure will soon change beyond recognition! So the title of Miss Universe is just around the corner.

3. Slowly drink a glass of water or count to yourself to one hundred, read the “Our Father” or a mantra. Self-hypnosis helps someone (“I am a goddess!”).

But there are times when you need to cry - when they propose, talk about future children, watch a heartfelt movie. And in tragic situations, you should not be ashamed of tears.

But pulling yourself together is a must in emergency situations. It’s enough not to focus on yourself, but to think about how the other person is feeling now—needing help or shouting angrily. For some, it gets worse. You need not to be selfish, and your problems will fade into the background. There will be no time for unnecessary emotions!

What reveals your emotions

Sometimes we don’t think about the fact that even small things can reveal our true desires and emotions. Body language and voice intonations determine the essence of a person. This is how daily habits help you recognize your character.

We show emotions through facial expressions, gestures, and voice. Each standard emotion has its own facial expression, which is used to read the mood. It is almost impossible to hide many manifestations. Even if a person tries to deceive, microexpressions will give him away, you just need to watch him carefully.

Let's look at several types of emotions and their manifestations.

emotions	signs and manifestations of the condition
Anger, rage	eyes narrowed, gaze directed at the object of anger; fists clenched; breathing is noisy; teeth clenched, lips touching tightly; eyebrows knitted.
Openness	the gaze is directed towards the interlocutor; tilt the body slightly forward; hands gesticulate freely; the body is as relaxed as possible.
Joy	eyebrows and forehead are almost not involved; lips are drawn back, their corners are raised; the mouth may be closed or slightly open the teeth, showing a smile; The shape of the eyes becomes smaller, and “crow’s feet” form in the outer corners.
Fear	mouth open; a tense or wary look; eyes wide open; eyebrows raised; trembling throughout the body; pale face.
Anxiety	restless, “running” look; trembling of hands and voice; speech and movements are fussy; rapid breathing; dry mouth.

The correct mechanism for releasing emotions

The phenomenon of experiences itself arose in the process of evolution. With their help, animals and humans can assess the biological significance of the surrounding world and the internal state of their body as a whole. This is, in fact, energy (negative or positive) accumulated in a person’s subconscious. If emotions have no outlet, then emotional exhaustion or imbalance occurs.

Whether to release emotions or hide them is up to each person to decide for himself. Practicing psychologists note that when experiences remain deep inside a person and he does not allow them to “come out,” the formation of negative emotions occurs, since they are not destroyed, but accumulate. Their impact is impossible to predict. This can happen if you do not control and properly organize the emotional process. The reason may be a large number of feelings. Their sharp internal manifestation can provoke: anxiety disorder, depression, emotional burnout and even cancer.

This is precisely the reason for the need to control emotions. Control is necessary in order to be able to avoid possible problems. But this should not always be done, since overwhelm and excessive control of emotions can lead to emotional devastation.

Use gestures and body language

Facial expressions are important, but not the only component of nonverbal communication; do not forget about gestures and body language. Gestures serve as a kind of infographics for speech, allowing you to illustrate ideas in the best possible way. In business communication, gestures rarely carry an exclusively emotional load; more often they are a direct conductor of ideas.

There is no need to become like a mime and illustrate every word with a gesture - it is enough to increase the expressiveness of gestures by about 10% compared to your personal norm. There is no need to worry that they will not understand you - scientists from the University of Birmingham conducted a study according to which our gestures are a structured system of signs, we perfectly understand gestures that indicate home, the desire to drink, the trajectory of movement, and so on.

The main movements are usually performed by the hands and fingers, which are recommended not to be moved far from the chest. Most gestures are used for enumeration, showing the relationship between parts, size, pointing at the interlocutor, indicating closedness and openness, and expressing several basic emotions. Also, by mirroring the gestures of your interlocutor, it will be easier for you to win him over.

Emotional regulation of behavior, what is it?

What is this concept in psychology?

Our emotions motivate us to behave in a certain way.

Everyone's emotions may manifest themselves differently, but the meaning remains the same.

This or that emotion will be expressed in a similar way by everyone. This is called stereotypic behavior.

Regulation of behavior occurs due to emotions, but at the same time, it exists in opposition to these same emotions. All acts of will are accomplished in spite of human emotions, all actions are done in spite of any feelings and sensations.

The lower a person’s level of this self-regulation, the more his emotions will take hold of him. That is, emotional regulation of behavior is the ability to control oneself, no matter what.

When possible, go online

Of course, many aspects of communication are lost when moving online, but it is still important to remember that today there are no fewer restrictions offline - a mask prevents the use of usual communication techniques, and social distance limits many forms of social contact, such as handshakes and other tactile interactions .

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You can communicate online without a mask, use facial expressions, gestures and other means of creating a visual image (accessories, makeup, jewelry) when communicating with colleagues and friends.

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Difficulty managing emotions

Managing emotions should not be presented as a particularly difficult task, but it should not be simplified either. In fact, not everyone knows how to manage their emotions, and not all emotions can be managed in principle. The ability to control oneself in difficult life situations is a separate task that requires special knowledge.

Smile

A smile is not only a beautiful accessory that attracts attention more than the most luxurious dress, but also a proven way to have fun. Our muscles get used to emotions, so in the case of a smile, you can do exactly the opposite.

Try smiling for at least a few minutes, and you won’t notice how a good mood will appear by itself, or with the help of this small but effective trick. Read on topic:

30 effective ways that will lift your mood to the maximum

You stop taking care of yourself

You ignore yourself. What this means is that a person stops analyzing everything that is happening in his head and begins to literally beat himself up about it and without it. And he does this to such an extent that he feels unhappy, but does not know why. This needs to be stopped.

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Self-control and success in life

Controlling your emotions by thinking carefully before acting is an important and valuable skill. Self-control helps in dealing with difficulties, protects against many social and personal problems, and helps in maintaining harmonious or conflict-free relationships.

The ability to control your emotions is a significant part of success in any field. The skill is developed from childhood and developed in adulthood. At any stage, self-control ensures success and an advantage over others. Humanity is daily subject to temptations, the fight against which is unthinkable without the ability to control one’s emotions. This is especially important in adolescence, during the formation of character: skills and habits are developed that contribute to or hinder success in adulthood.

If you want to teach your child self-control, start with a personal example so that the child can adopt this trait. Self-discipline is the foundation of success in life, and it starts with self-control. Parents are the main source of learning and imitation. If you don’t know how to control your emotions, don’t expect this skill from your children. Be interested in your child's goals and stage of achievement. Help them formulate goals, explain the importance of each stage.

Develop organizational skills and learn to plan things. Aids: diary, schedule, diary.

Controlling your emotions and making decisions based on reason rather than first reactions is the key to success and prosperity. Don't make decisions based on fear, anger, or in a moment of euphoria - they are dictated by emotions that do not always reflect the full picture. Without self-control, your judgment, confidence and adequacy may be at risk.

Maintain composure, even when you see others' arrogance and ingratitude. By allowing a person to make us angry, we give him control over our emotional state, we find ourselves at his mercy. Not satisfied with the attitude towards you, the tone of the conversation? Abstract from the tone: listen not to how they say, but to what they say. Does this information affect you without any emotional overtones? If you feel dissatisfied, remain silent and do not allow yourself to be thrown off balance.