Mental Health

Our emotional reactions today are shaped by what’s happening now and also by past experiences. When something felt overwhelming, confusing, or too intense to process in the past, the feelings didn’t disappear. They can linger in the body and influence how we: 

• Interpret situations  
• Protect ourselves 
• Respond under stress 

This is a normal human response, and many people develop similar coping patterns. 

Repression happens when the mind automatically buries painful emotions without us realizing it. Over time, these emotions can show up as anxiety, tension, irritability, or feeling disconnected. 

Suppression is when you know a feeling is there but push it down, staying busy, avoiding conversations, or telling yourself you shouldn’t feel that way. These emotions often return during moments of stress. 

Acting out happens when emotions feel too big to sit with and come out through behavior instead. Some examples include irritability, shutting down, impulsivity, or substance use. Acting out is not being dramatic. It is a sign the emotion hasn’t had space to be understood. 

Understanding emotions is the first step toward responding with compassion and intention. 

Emotions can overlap, switch quickly, or show up all at once. There’s no right way to feel. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. 

Call, text, or chat 988 anytime for free, confidential emotional support.

Explore common emotions and how they manifest in the body. Knowing what you’re feeling can help you: 

• Understand what you need to feel better 
• Prevent emotions from building up 
• Navigate hard situations more calmly 
• Improve relationships 
• Relieve stress stored in the body 

Shame

Why it appears: Shame can show up when you feel like you’ve failed, disappointed someone, or aren’t enough. 
Why it happens: Your brain is trying to protect connection and belonging. 
How it may feel: It may feel like heaviness, a sinking sensation, wanting to hide, tightness in the chest or stomach, or low energy. 

Guilt

Why it appears: Guilt often appears when you feel that you’ve hurt someone or crossed a personal line. 
Why it happens: Your values are nudging you to repair, take responsibility, or reconnect. 
How it may feel: It may feel like restlessness, rumination, stomach tension, or uneasiness. 

Fear

Why it appears: Fear often shows up in response to danger, stress, uncertainty, or the unknown. 
Why it happens: Your survival system activates to help keep you safe. 
How it may feel: It may feel like a fast heartbeat, shallow breathing, muscle tension, or a freeze-or-flight response. 

Anxiety

Why it appears: Anxiety appears when you worry about future possibilities or outcomes. 
Why it happens: The brain is trying to predict and control potential threats. 
How it may feel: It may feel like racing thoughts, chest tightness, nausea, sweating, restlessness, or trouble sleeping. 

Sadness

Why it appears: Sadness often follows loss, disappointment, or major change. 
Why it happens: Your body slows things down so you can process what happened. 
How it may feel: It may feel like heaviness, crying, low motivation, or fatigue. 

Loneliness

Why it appears: Loneliness can appear when there is a lack of connection or meaningful relationships. 
Why it happens: Humans are wired for belonging, and loneliness signals a need for closeness. 
How it may feel: It may feel like emptiness, an ache in the chest, foggy thinking, or isolation. 

Grief 

Why it appears: Grief appears after the loss of someone or something important. 
Why it happens: Your brain and body are adjusting to a changed reality. 
How it may feel: It may feel like waves of sadness, throat tightness, fatigue, or changes in sleep. 

Apathy

Why it appears: Apathy can appear when you feel numb or disconnected. 
Why it happens: It may be emotional exhaustion or your body’s way of protecting you from overwhelm. 
How it may feel: It can feel like low motivation, emotional flatness, foggy thinking, or low energy. 

Anger

Why it appears: Anger can appear when you feel hurt, disrespected, overwhelmed, or threatened. 
Why it happens: Your body generates energy to protect you or help you set boundaries. 
How it may feel: It may feel like heat in the body, a clenched jaw or fists, rapid breathing, or an urge to react quickly.

Courage

Why it appears: Courage appears when you decide to face something difficult despite fear. 
Why it happens: Your body shifts from survival mode into problem-solving mode. 
How it may feel: It may feel like clearer thinking, grounded energy, or deeper breathing. 

Acceptance

Why it appears: Acceptance appears when you stop fighting what is and feel grounded or at peace, even if things aren’t perfect. 
Why it happens: Your nervous system shifts out of threat mode, and your brain releases calming chemicals that help you settle. 
How it may feel: It may feel like softening in the body, steady breathing, less tension, or a sense of “I can handle this.” 

Love

Why it appears: Love appears through connection, belonging, and moments of genuine closeness with people, places, or even memories. 
Why it happens: Chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine increase, supporting trust, bonding, and emotional warmth. 
How it may feel: It may feel like warmth in the chest, relaxed shoulders, more patience, or feeling drawn toward others.

Joy

Why it appears: Joy appears when something feels fun, meaningful, or aligned with who you are. 
Why it happens: The brain’s reward pathways activate, releasing dopamine and other feel-good messengers that boost energy and motivation. 
How it may feel: It may feel like lightness, energy in the body, spontaneity, smiling or laughter, or a sense of uplift. 

Peace

Why it appears: Peace appears when your environment and inner world feel safe enough for you to rest. 
Why it happens: Stress hormones like cortisol decrease, while calming systems in the body take over. 
How it may feel: It may feel like stillness, ease, steady breathing, or a sense of spaciousness or clarity. 

Painful emotions can show up suddenly and feel overwhelming. It’s natural for thoughts to race, tighten around what’s wrong, and fight the reality of what happened. That’s part of how the brain tries to protect us. Moving toward acceptance isn’t about forcing calm or doing everything right. It’s about making just a little space to notice what’s happening without judgment. 

A gentle approach might look like this:

• Notice the emotion and where it’s showing up physically. 
  Maybe there’s pressure in the chest, knots in the stomach, or heat in the face. Observing the sensation, without needing to fix it, is the first small step toward settling the body. 
• Try to pause any thoughts, even briefly. 
  This can be incredibly hard when emotions are strong, and different grounding approaches work for different people. This is a skill that can be practiced and does not need to be perfect. Any amount of grounding can help. See below for grounding techniques. 
• Bring attention back to the physical sensation. 
  Noticing qualities like temperature, movement, tightness, or intensity can help anchor the mind. Paying attention to the body in this way can reduce the extra tension that comes from imagining worst-case scenarios. 
• Allow sensations to shift naturally. 
  As the body feels seen rather than resisted, the intensity may soften on its own. The goal isn’t to chase relief. It’s to create space for the emotion to move through without added pressure. 
• Offer yourself kindness. 
  Try gentle reframes like: 
  • Instead of “why am I like this” try “this emotion is asking for my attention.” 
  • Instead of “I need this gone now” try “I can sit with this for a moment.” 

Sometimes emotions come from experiences so painful that all you can do is survive them in the moment. There is nothing wrong with this. Once you have more capacity, you can return to those feelings with safety, support, and compassion. 

If an emotion feels too overwhelming to sit with, grounding tools can help steady your body before you try to process anything. 

Breathing techniques are simple ways to use your breath to calm your body and mind. When you’re stressed, your breathing often becomes fast and shallow. Slowing it down sends a signal to your nervous system that you’re safe, which can lower stress, ease anxiety, and help you think more clearly.  

4–6 Breathing (quick stress reset) 
A longer exhale helps the body relax. 

• Inhale for 4 seconds 
• Exhale for 6 seconds 
• Repeat 10 times 

Box Breathing 
A steady rhythm that can help with focus and grounding. 

• Inhale for 4 seconds 
• Hold for 4 seconds 
• Exhale for 4 seconds 
• Hold for 4 seconds 

Grounding through your senses is a simple way to calm your nervous system by gently bringing your attention back to the present moment using what you can see, feel, hear, smell, and taste.  

Here’s a simple technique. Think about the following: 

• 5 things you can see 
• 4 things you can feel 
• 3 things you can hear 
• 2 things you can smell 
• 1 thing you can taste 

Meditation is a way to slow down, notice what’s happening in your body and mind, and bring your attention to the present moment. It doesn’t have to be quiet, long, or perfect to help. Even one minute can make a difference. 

Meditation can look like: 

• Guided audio, listening to a voice that leads you through breathing or focus 
• Body scans, noticing sensations from head to toe 
• Mindful walking, paying attention to your steps and surroundings 
• Music or sound meditation, using sound to help you settle or focus 
• Lying down meditation, resting your body while gently noticing your breath 

Naming emotions decreases their intensity. When you tap into the physical sensation in your body and let yourself feel it without letting your mind wander, the feeling will fade out. If you continue to think about everything bad that will happen, the feeling can grow and not fade out.  
Try:  

• “I’m feeling overwhelmed.” 
• “I notice grief as a tightness in my throat.” 

Even a small amount of movement helps regulate energy and release tension: 

• Stretching 
• Yoga 
  • Yoga for Mental Health
  • YouTube:

• • • Accessible Yoga with Jivana Heyman 
    • All Bodies Yoga 
    • Black Women’s Yoga Collective 
    • Breathe and Flow 
    • Caitlin K'eli Yoga 
    • Hannah Uiri 
    • Jessamyn Stanley 
    • Yoga With Adriene 
    • Yoga for All Bodies 

• Down Dog App $40 for a year for customizable virtual yoga, meditation, pilates, HIIT, and more 
• Walking or running 
• Shaking out your hands to release stress 
• Clenching and releasing fists 
• Resetting your posture when you feel yourself slump 
• Physical activity  

Grounding can also come from culture, tradition, and connection to something larger than yourself. Cultural and spiritual practices are deeply personal and vary across communities. 

Depending on your culture or beliefs, some examples might include: 

• Prayer or quiet reflection 
• Cultural or spiritual cleansing practices, such as smudging or burning incense
• Dancing, song, or chanting 
• Visiting meaningful places 
• Practicing cultural rituals or storytelling 
• Connecting with community 

These practices can offer strength, belonging, and a sense of place, especially during difficult moments. 

Learn more about Traditional Healing Practices for Self Care and spiritual health.

Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a calming physical or emotional response that some people experience from specific sounds, visuals, or gentle movements. Even if you don’t get the tingles, ASMR can still be grounding, helping slow your breathing, focus your attention, or create a sense of comfort. 

Most ASMR falls into four broad categories: 

1. Sound-based ASMR: soft or repetitive noises like tapping, brushing, page-turning, water sounds, or ambient noise 
2. Visual ASMR: slow hand movements, methodical tasks, or visually soothing scenes 
3. Role-play ASMR: calm, supportive interactions (e.g., “spa day,” “study buddy,” or “check-in” style videos) 
4. Intentional relaxation ASMR: content focused on grounding, energy work, calming thoughts, or stress release. 

Not every sound or visual is relaxing for everyone. Some can even be uncomfortable or overstimulating. It’s important to experiment and learn what helps you feel settled. 

Music can shift mood, regulate your nervous system, and help you feel more connected to yourself.  

Some people find grounding through steady rhythms, instrumental music, singing, drumming, or playlists that guide their emotions from tense to calm. Others prefer therapeutic approaches like music-assisted relaxation or sound baths. 

Different sounds help different people, so explore what feels good for you, whether that’s classical, lo-fi, heavy bass, chanting, Indigenous songs, or nature sounds. 

You don’t have to have a journal to get relief from writing down what’s bothering you. Putting thoughts on paper can help untangle stress and bring clarity. It doesn’t have to be neat or structured. Even a few words can create space between emotions and reactions and help the mind settle. 

Plus, it can feel good to rip it up after.  

Water can help reset your body’s stress response and bring awareness back into the present moment. The physical sensation of warmth, pressure, or water moving across your skin can interrupt overwhelming thoughts and help regulate your breathing. 

For some, a hot shower loosens tension. For others, a cool shower helps wake up the senses. You can also focus on a simple detail, like the sound of the water, the temperature on your shoulders, or the smell of your soap. 

It doesn’t have to be long. Even a quick shower or a few minutes soaking your hands or feet in warm water can help calm your system when things feel intense.

Free, confidential support anytime for emotional distress, suicidal thoughts, or urgent mental-health concerns. 
Services include: 

• Call, text, or chat with trained crisis counselors 
• Alaska-based support and referrals 
• Connection to local providers, including Alaska Behavioral Health 

Get help now: 

• Phone/Text: 988 
• Website: 988
• Alaska Behavioral Health

Statewide mental health organization offering education, peer support, and family resources, with local affiliates across Alaska (including Anchorage). 
Services include: 

• Peer support groups 
• Education programs 
• Family and caregiver resources 
• Advocacy 
• Local and virtual support options 

Find support: 

• Learn about mental illness: Warning signs, symptoms, conditions, treatment options, and data 
  • NAMI Mental Health Support
  • NAMI Hearts & Minds 

Statewide tribal health organization providing culturally grounded behavioral health services. 
Services include: 

• Behavioral Health Wellness Clinic 
• Telebehavioral health 
• Culturally informed support 

Learn more: 

Website: ANTHC

National directory for locating IHS, tribal, and urban Indian health programs, including behavioral-health services. 
Services include: 

• Primary care 
• Behavioral health care 
• Substance use support 

Find care: 

• Website: Indian Health Service

A tool to find mental health and substance use services across Alaska, including integrated care that addresses multiple needs at once. 
Services include: 

• Search filters for Alaska providers 
• Treatment programs for mental health, substance use, or both 
• Options for insurance, level of care, and specialties 

Search programs: 

• Website: FindTreatment.gov

National organization providing crisis intervention and mental health support specifically for LGBTQ+ youth, including Alaska youth. 
Services include:

• 24/7 confidential support via phone, text, and chat 
• Peer support and community connection 
• Resources on mental health, coming out, and LGBTQ+ issues 
• Crisis intervention and suicide prevention 

Find support: 
Phone: 1-866-488-7386 
Text: START to 678-678 
Website: The Trevor Project

Behavioral-health practice offering individual and group therapy, including telemedicine options. 
Services include: 

• Individual therapy 
• Group programs 
• Trauma-informed care

Connect: 

• Website: Wisdom Traditions
• Phone: (907) 770-3656