In this episode of 5 Year You, Andrew and Catherine explore the importance of expressing emotions rather than suppressing them. The phrase Expression Not Depression highlights how keeping emotions bottled up can lead to stress, anxiety, and even physical health issues. They discuss their own experiences with emotional expression, the impact of unspoken feelings, and practical ways to release emotions in a healthy way. If you struggle with holding things in, avoiding confrontation, or feeling disconnected from your emotions, this episode is for you.

• Why Suppressing Emotions Hurts: How holding emotions in can manifest as anxiety, depression, or physical tension.
• Healthy Ways to Express Yourself: Techniques for releasing emotions through words, movement, creativity, and mindfulness.
• Overcoming the Fear of Confrontation: How to speak up without fear and navigate difficult conversations.
• How Trauma Gets Stored in the Body: Insights from The Body Keeps the Score and how unexpressed emotions affect physical health.
• The Science of Third-Person Self-Talk: How referring to yourself in the third person can help manage emotions more effectively.

1. Name Your Emotion: Simply acknowledging how you feel out loud or in writing can help release tension.
2. Use Third-Person Self-Talk: Saying, "Andrew is feeling frustrated right now" helps create emotional distance and makes emotions easier to manage.
3. Move Your Body: Exercise, stretching, or even dancing can help process emotions physically.
4. Journaling & Creative Expression: Writing, painting, or playing music can be an outlet for emotions that words can't always capture.
5. Practice Safe Conversations: Find a trusted friend, therapist, or support group to express yourself openly.

Catherine’s Aha Moments:

• "Keeping emotions bottled up doesn’t protect you—it weighs you down."
• "Tension builds when feelings go unspoken. The healthiest thing you can do is let them out."
• "You don’t need permission to feel your feelings—just allow them to exist."
• "Expressing your emotions isn’t just about you; it helps the people around you understand and support you."
• "Crying isn’t a weakness. It’s a natural, healthy way to release stress."

Andrew’s Aha Moments:

• "The body stores trauma in ways we don’t even realize—until we finally let it out."
• "Expressing yourself isn’t about getting attention—it’s about healing and releasing what no longer serves you."
• "You don’t have to share everything with everyone, but you do need a safe space to express yourself."
• "Using third-person self-talk—'Andrew is feeling stressed'—actually reduces emotional overwhelm."
• "We all need an outlet. Whether it’s talking, writing, or movement—expression is the key to peace."

• Andrew: Finding unexpected breakthroughs in The Secret Language of the Body and how it connects emotions to physical well-being.
• Catherine: Turning everyday annoyances (like household messes) into lighthearted humor using "the troll" technique with her kids.