After all, the spirit given to us by God isn’t a fearful spirit; it’s a spirit of power, love, and prudence.—2 Timothy 1:7
Brainy Tip: You cannot hide what you are feeling, but you can control what you are feeling.
The first vital step in controlling your emotions is recognizing you have control over your emotions! You build them into your brain with your mind. Emotions are not universal or preprogrammed but rather unique to you. They don’t happen to you; emotions are made by you.
You do not have to wear your heart on your sleeve or let everything hang out. You do, however, have to be honest with yourself. This is an evolving process of working out what you are feeling and how to deal with these emotions.
You need to express emotions appropriately, in an environment that is safe, accepting, and nonjudgmental. I suggest you create lists of “safe,” “less safe,” and “not safe” people. The first group is people you know you can trust (loved ones, a really close friend, a counselor). The second group is people with whom you feel you can share to an extent, but not everything. The third group is people you definitely won’t talk to because you know it will backfire.