Why Suppressing Emotions Makes You Sick (And What to Do Instead)
- Katherine Coelho
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
Discover why suppressing emotions leads to stress, illness and disconnection, and how to reclaim peace, joy, and clarity through emotional healing.
Aloha Beautiful Soul,
Today, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on your inner and outer world so you can live with greater self-awareness, embrace life more fully, and experience a deeper sense of peace. Let's reflect together!
The world around us is loud. Super loud!!!
It constantly reminds us that we need to adapt, behave a certain way, smile more, hide the sadness, showcase our wins, and quietly forget the mistakes that helped us grow.
It also tells us to keep pushing, even when all we really need is a five-minute break.
And here’s the thing: we’re all paying a very high price for that noise. The sad part? Most of us don’t even realize it… until the bill arrives.
As a mentor, coach, and human being, here’s what I’ve learned:
The more we suppress our thoughts, feelings, and emotions, the more disconnected, stressed, and sick we become.
Today, I want to share with you something that changed my life and opened the eyes and hearts of my beautiful guests who come to Hawaii to find renewal, emotional healing, peace, and reconnect with themselves on a deeper level.
And because I loveeee making deep wisdom simple and practical, let’s imagine this…
You're new in town and you're handed a brand-new car (aka your life). This car is meant to take you on a wild, beautiful journey to grow, heal, and transcend—both as a human and as the radiant soul you truly are.
You weren’t just handed the keys and left to figure it out alone. You were given guides to help you: your emotions—joy, sadness, fear, anger, anxiety. Like in Inside Out, the Disney movie, which I highly recommend btw.
As a child, you’re not ready to drive, so your parents and emotions take the wheel.
As you grow, you begin to take control of the car... but often, you let your emotions do the driving because, well, you're still figuring it all out.
You hear all the noise outside and confuse it with your own inner voice. So, you try to kick your emotional passengers out of the car, especially the “difficult” ones.
But guess what? You can’t.
Here’s the truth (and it may surprise you):
You can’t get rid of sadness, anger, anxiety, or fear. They’re not your enemies. They’re your guides, protectors, and often, your greatest teachers.
The key is not to banish them—it’s to befriend them. Your job is to notice when one of them—say, fear—tries to take the wheel and gently guide it to the back seat. Say:
"Hey there, I see you. I know you’re here for a reason, but I’m learning how to take the wheel in my own life now. If I’m ever truly in danger, I’ll call on you. Until then, I’ve got this. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you."
Here's a great spiritual teaching to help you understand this:
We don’t just have a physical body.
We also have emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. Even if we can’t see them, they are constantly processing the noise and energy around us.
But when your emotional or mental body can no longer process the feelings you’ve been avoiding, guess what happens?
It sends them to your physical body. That’s when emotions start showing up as symptoms, illness, tension, and physical pain.
Yep. That’s the bill for suppressing emotions arriving.
One of the biggest takeaways I offer every guest at my retreats is this:
Give yourself permission to FEEL everything, without judgment, guilt, or expectation.
Once you allow yourself to feel, all of your bodies can begin to process and release them with grace and ease. And you start to feel lighter, clearer, and more alive much faster!
This mindset transformed how I relate to my emotions. It helped me live a truly fulfilling, joyful life, and most importantly, a peaceful one, even with all the noise around me.
And remember: You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Having a mentor to guide you can make a world of difference, helping you take that next leap with clarity, courage, and compassion.
I’d be honored to be your mentor and host here in Hawaii.
Join me this Labor Day for a powerful, heart-opening retreat: 5-Day Aloha Bliss Retreat. Or, if you need more time to plan, private retreats are available year-round.
You might be just one step away from emotional healing and soul awakening.
Are we meeting for the first time? Aloha, I’m Katherine Coelho.
Rooted in the lush energy of Oahu, Hawaii, I’m a spiritual teacher and mentor, master healer, life coach, yoga teacher, and the visionary behind a 5-star review retreat sanctuary where I guide others to recharge, heal from within, and transform their lives through sacred practices. I’d be honored to guide you, hold space for your transformation, and share what I’ve learned on my own path with you.
Ready to Say Yes to Your Transformation?
If your heart is calling you to Hawaii, trust it. This sacred land has a way of awakening exactly what your soul is ready for.
Join me for a transformational spiritual retreat in Hawaii, a space to heal, reconnect, and step fully into your most authentic self.
→ Book a free clarity call to explore if a spiritual retreat is right for you. Or sign up for my newsletter to stay in the loop about upcoming retreats, events, and inspiration from Hawaii.
You don’t have to do this alone.
Your healing, your peace, and your joy are waiting for you.
Much Love & Aloha,
Katherine Coelho
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