Being emotional isn’t a bad thing
* This blog post was co-created with AI, using my transcript. My aim is for the blog to be as verbatim as possible, so you’re in contact with me not the robots! Using AI means the blog can exist in the first place so it’s a use that works for me right now!
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Too Emotional? Why Feeling Deeply Is Not a Flaw
If you've ever felt like you are too emotional, that you feel things too deeply, or that you’re too sensitive, this is for you. Today I want to talk about why being emotional is not a bad thing, despite what you may have been told or how you may feel. Emotions aren’t good or bad—they are data. Feeling deeply can actually be a real advantage.
I’m your host, Kate Maxwell. I coach media and tech professionals wanting to choose a new career direction. This show is here to give you that extra push as you take the leap—with pep talks, tools, and techniques. Above all, I want to challenge the assumptions you have about what you can and can’t do, and who you can and can’t be.
Feelings Are Like the Weather
In today’s episode, I want to talk about emotions in three ways: 1) How feelings are like the weather. 2) How emotions are information—data you can use. 3) The idea of emotion as strength, as a tool, as an asset.
A lot of what I’m going to share is not new or groundbreaking, but I hope this serves as a reminder—and an introduction if you haven’t heard it before.
The Guest House: A Poem That Changed My Perspective
At the start of my therapy journey many years ago, a therapist shared a beautiful poem with me that completely shifted my perspective on feelings and emotions: The Guest House by Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks.
It begins: “This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival… Welcome and entertain them all… Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”
What Rumi is saying is that feelings come and go, and they are functional. Even when uncomfortable, they are useful. He speaks of them as guidance—and that connects directly to the idea that our feelings are information.
Emotions as Data
When you feel something—whether comfortable or not—it’s telling you something important about your situation, your desires, your sense of self, or your values. Even shame and guilt have lessons. I recommend Brene Brown’s work on shame if you want to explore this further.
If you struggle with feelings, a “feeling wheel” can be helpful. Being able to label your emotions is a powerful first step in using them as information. When you can name the feeling and connect it to what’s going on, you raise your self-awareness, make better decisions, and live a more rich and fulfilled life—rather than ignoring what your emotions are trying to tell you.
Showing Emotion Is a Strength
If you’re listening from a Western-leaning place and you’re a woman, you’ll know there’s a deep, cultural stigma around women and feelings. Historically, women have been labelled “hysterical” and treated as if showing emotions is a flaw. But being emotional isn’t a flaw—it’s part of being alive, part of being connected. I encourage you to embrace your sensitivity. It gives you a unique perspective and helps you move through the world with greater awareness.
It’s Not About You—It’s About Them
The next time someone says you are “too emotional,” that is their own discomfort talking. If you call yourself too emotional, try thinking of your feelings in a more neutral way—like the rain. Whether you curse the rain or dance in it, the rain is still neutral. Your feelings are the same, even when they’re hard.
No Such Thing as “Too Emotional”
Who decides what “too emotional” even means? That standard often comes from a narrow view of emotional expression that harms all of us, including men. We are human—we have emotions, and we need to express them to be healthy and balanced.
When you feel something, let yourself feel it. Dance in the rain of that feeling, or curse the rain if it’s that kind of day. Either way, it’s not a reflection of your worth. Your emotions are here to guide you.
Final Thoughts
I have so much time for you and for your feelings, and I hope you can greet them with warmth next time you feel something deeply. If you need more support navigating your feelings, I’ve shared links in the show notes. This is also something I help clients with in coaching, working under professional supervision so I can support you at the highest standard.
If you enjoyed this conversation, please rate, review, subscribe, and share it with someone who might need it. Next time, we’ll be talking about the tension between work and hobbies for life satisfaction—fun, joy, and purpose. It’s going to be an absolute banger. See you then.
