How Emotions Affect the Body – Specific Examples We All Experience

There’s still a common belief that emotions are “just in our head” and the body is something separate. But that’s not how it works. The body and emotions are constantly communicating. And when you suppress something for a long time, it doesn’t just affect your mood—it shows up in your body too.

Here are some specific examples:

Fear– Often settles in the stomach. It can cause a tight feeling, nausea, digestive issues, or diarrhea.– Long-term fear weakens the immune system and can even lead to panic attacks.

Anger and Rage– Strongly affect the liver and gallbladder.– People who “swallow” their anger often have digestive problems, pain under the right ribcage, or sudden heat rushes.– Suppressed anger can lead to outbursts of aggression or migraines.

Sadness and Loss– Often “sits on the lungs”—which is why people who experience loss or prolonged sadness tend to breathe shallowly or feel like they can’t catch their breath.– Sadness also affects the chest, heart area, and posture—people hunch over and “shrink into themselves.”

Stress– Most often shows up as muscle tension (trapezius, neck, lower back).– It can lead to headaches, tooth pain, insomnia, and digestive issues.– When stress is long-term, the body stays in “fight or flight” mode, which exhausts the adrenal glands and nervous system.

Repressed Childhood Emotions– Are often stored in the pelvis, hips, and lower back.– This can lead to back pain, menstrual issues, fertility problems, or a feeling of being “unrooted” or ungrounded.

So yes—the body remembers everything.

Every thought, every sentence we didn’t allow ourselves to say.

Balance of the body systems is the key to longevity.