Sit With That Feeling. Have you ever wondered what it really means to “sit with it”?

It’s a phrase you’ve likely come across—spoken in a therapy session, whispered by a friend during a hard moment, or seen written in a self-help quote on social media. But when we’re in the middle of emotional pain or overwhelm, this idea of sitting with it can feel vague or even impossible. What does it mean to sit with sadness, anger, shame, or fear, especially when all we want to do is run from them?

Sit With That Feeling. AE Therapy, Angelica Esposito | EMDR Burlington

To “sit with that feeling” means allowing it to be present without rushing to fix it, explain it away, or push it down. It’s about making space for our emotions—even the uncomfortable ones—and observing them with compassion rather than judgment. And while this might sound simple, it can be one of the most challenging and powerful practices in our emotional growth and healing.

Why Do We Avoid Sitting With Our Feelings?

Let’s be honest—feelings can be intense. They can show up like waves crashing over us, catching us off guard and knocking the wind out of us. Maybe your heart races when anxiety creeps in. Or a lump forms in your throat when grief stirs unexpectedly. Our natural response is often to avoid: distract, numb, overthink, or “logic” our way out.

This makes sense. Avoiding pain is a deeply human instinct. But when we constantly push our emotions away, they don’t disappear—they tend to grow stronger, often showing up in our bodies, our relationships, or through patterns we can’t seem to break.

What Does It Actually Look Like to Sit With a Feeling?

It’s not about wallowing. It’s not about spiralling into overwhelm. And it’s certainly not about suffering in silence.

To sit with a feeling is to acknowledge it. To pause and say: I see you. I feel you. You are here.

It might look like:

• Breathing deeply and naming the feeling out loud: I’m feeling sadness right now.

• Writing it down in a journal and letting your thoughts spill without censoring them.

• Noticing where you feel it in your body—maybe a tight chest, clenched jaw, or heavy shoulders—and staying with that sensation for a few breaths.

• Imagining the feeling as a visitor, a temporary guest in your house. You don’t have to give it full control, but you also don’t have to slam the door in its face.

This practice builds emotional resilience. By allowing feelings to move through us rather than avoiding them, we develop a deeper understanding of ourselves, and often discover that the emotions we fear the most aren’t as dangerous as we imagined.

How Therapy Can Support This Process

In therapy, you don’t have to sit with your feelings alone. We create a safe, grounded space where you can explore what’s coming up with curiosity and support. Through approaches like EMDR, ACT therapy, and Narrative Therapy, we gently work with difficult emotions and unprocessed experiences. Together, we build the tools and internal safety needed to face them.

Sometimes we’ll pause in a session when something big surfaces—like grief, guilt, or fear—and we lean in gently rather than moving past it. With care. With presence. With the knowledge that the feeling is valid, but it doesn’t define you.

Over time, you begin to trust that you can face hard things—and come through them with greater clarity, strength, and self-compassion.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone

Sitting with a feeling doesn’t mean sitting alone in the dark. It’s about creating space for yourself, but also about knowing when to reach out for connection and support.

If you’re struggling with emotions that feel too heavy to hold on your own, therapy can help. You deserve a space where you feel safe, heard, and empowered to feel what needs to be felt, at your own pace.

Let’s sit with it, together.

Your emotional well-being matters—and you don’t have to carry it alone.