Hello gorgeous people, how are you all doing?
Let’s dive right in—have any of you seen the new Disney Pixar movie, Inside Out 2? If not, why not? And if you haven’t seen Inside Out 1, start there!
I went to see it last week... and I even treated my inner child to a large blue slushy which honestly brough me so much joy! I won't lie... I had to ignore my adult mind reminding me how bad E numbers are for you 🫠.
I love Disney Pixar movies.
They are fun, playful and ignite our imagination, but more than that, they carry deeply profound messages.
They’re not just for kids; they engage us adults too, encouraging an emotional connection and opening our minds to life’s deeper meanings.
Inside Out 2 is no exception.
The films beautifully capture the complexities of our emotions and how that plays out in our inner world. It also shows how core memories are made and stored and that even when we think we have thrown them to the back of our mind never to be seen again… they are still there lurking in the shadows.
I want to cover both topics… but let’s stick to emotions for now and I’ll cover core memories soon.
So, let me take you on a journey through the film’s insights and real-life implications.
Revisiting Core Emotions
In the original Inside out, we meet Riley, a young girl navigating a move, a new school and coming to terms with her core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust.
We get to see these emotions play out as they respond and react to what is going on in and around Riley’s life.
Like us humans… these emotions at first got the meaning of life and the purpose of emotions a little mixed up…
Joy for example, thought that Riley needed to always be happy.
Which is lovely… but she soon realised that this was completely unrealistic.
Without the bad, how do we truly know what is good? Without sadness, happiness loses its meaning. Without fear, how would we survive? Without anger, how can we articulate our pain or fight for justice?
She realised that the yin and yang of our emotions is what creates the depth of our human experience and allows us to grow.
Inside Out 2 continues Riley’s journey into adolescence, introducing new emotions like anxiety.
As someone that suffered with chronic anxiety for years, I got quite emotional watching this.
The movie beautifully captures anxiety’s intent to protect and the turmoil it can cause when left unchecked.
Anxiety is an emotion that genuinely believes it's trying to support you and improve your life. But if you ignore the feeling of anxiety in your body and let your thoughts loop and take over, the emotion will dominate and pull you away from your true self.
Which is exactly what happened in Riley’s case.
The Importance of Emotional Balance
We are human and our emotions are there for a reason, for a purpose, to guide us, to signal to us and to allow us to move whatever energy we are feeling through and out of us.
And when we block these feelings, numb them, distract ourselves, or try to control them, they start acting like a 2-year-old throwing a tantrum! They're trying to capture your attention to what they're signalling. If that doesn’t work, they might kick it up a notch or two.
We unfortunately live in a time where our intellect comes up trumps before our feelings and we prioritise logic over intuition, we prioritise our thoughts, over our feelings. We are constantly on the go “doing” trying to push our emotions away, in the hope that we can avoid facing them and feeling the pain that we believe may come with them.
But as Mo Gowdat puts so eloquently in his book Unstressable
“if there was no use for the feelings that arise in you, then why do you have them in the first place?”
Think about it.
Sorry… I’ve gone slightly off topic there…
Back to Inside Out!
The Key Message…?
The key message of Inside Out 2 is clear: allow space for all your emotions.
Every emotion has its purpose. It’s not about eliminating emotions but meeting yourself wherever you are and feeling whatever you feel without judgment.
We can be quick label emotions as good and bad… but there are no “bad” emotions… they all serve a purpose which without we would not have a full and vibrant human experience.
If we never experienced a low, how would we truly appreciate a high?
My Personal Tips
Treat your emotions like a 2-year-old: Show them kindness and warmth. Ask what’s upsetting them, and listen for the answer. You will be surprised when you get a response. Questions to ask: “Why am I feeling this way? What is this feeling trying to tell me?”
Be your own best friend: Choose to be kind and compassionate to yourself instead of critical is key. Imagine spending your day with someone who lifts you up rather than puts you down. Realise, that this is a choice and you can choose to turn that inner critic into your inner cheerleader.
Write it down: Writing your thoughts helps you understand yourself better and by focusing on one thing, much like when we focus on our breath while meditating, it allows your mind and body to naturally regulate and slow down.
In Conclusion
Inside Out 2 is more than just an animated film. It’s a profound exploration of the human mind, emotions and how they interact and play in our lives. It teaches us that our emotions, in all their complexity, are essential to our well-being and that there are no “good” or “bad” emotions. They are just emotions! They are the most real thing that we have... we literally can't make them up.
As a hypnotherapist, I see the beauty in this message and its real-life applications. This movie offers valuable insights into the importance of embracing and understanding our inner world and more importantly, the importance of understanding and integrating our emotions, not eradicating them.
Remember Riley’s journey the next time you feel overwhelmed. Embrace each feeling, learn from it, and recognise that every emotion has its place in your life.
It’s not until all of the emotions “let go” of trying to control Riley that she is able to experience true freedom in the form of being herself.
So let go… and allow yourself to feel. It can feel hard or uncomfortable at first, but it’s what makes us human and isn't that beautiful?
And if you need a guide, don’t hesitate to seek help from a therapist, hypnotherapist, psychotherapist or counsellor. They can help you understand, navigate and move these any stuck emotions through you so that you can move forward in your life with clarity and confidence.
To find out more about hypnotherapy and set up your free introductory call with me today, click here.
Sending love,
Kat
1111 Healing
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