101 Emotions
Like the phoenix, this is about the power of rising — no matter how many times your spirit is crushed.
· Relief is the feeling thatcomes when something I was bracing for doesn’t happen, ends, or loosens.
· It’s not “happiness.” It’s the releaseafter fear, stress, pain, or waiting.
· For me it can feel like: Ican breathe again.
· Relief is my nervous systemcompleting a stress cycle.
· It helps me:
o come out of fight/flight/freeze
o let go of hypervigilance (evenbriefly)
o return to my body
o reset my thinking so I can makeclearer choices
· Relief is a signal: the threathas reduced, or I’ve reached a safe pause.
· In my body:
o long exhale, shoulders drop
o warmth in chest, softer belly
o sudden tears (release tears)
o yawning, shaking, needing a nap
o appetite returns
· In my mind:
o “It’s over.” / “I don’t have tofight right now.”
o clarity after fog
o gratitude mixed with exhaustion
· In my behaviour:
o I stop checking, stop scanning
o I want quiet, softness, a saferoutine
o I might suddenly clean,organise, or create (energy returns)
o I might crash (because I wasrunning on adrenaline)
· Getting confirmation (results,answers, decisions)
· Leaving an unsafe environmentor conversation
· Being believed, supported, orprotected
· A deadline passing
· A body shift: pain easing,panic settling
· A boundary holding (I said no,and I survived it)
· Sometimes relief comes withgrief: I didn’t realise how much I was carrying.
· Sometimes relief comes withanger: I shouldn’t have had to live like that.
· Sometimes relief feelssuspicious: my body waits for the next hit.
· Calm: calm is steadier; relief is the release after tension.
· Joy: joy expands; relief softens.
· Safety: safety is a state; relief is the moment I notice safety.
· Numbness: numbness is shutdown; relief is thawing.
· “It wasn’t that bad.” Relief can trick me into minimising what I survived.
· “I’m fine now.” Relief is a pause, not proof I’m healed.
· Guilt for feeling better: I sometimes feel I don’t “deserve” relief.
· What I need:
o rest (real rest, not scrolling)
o hydration/food (basic bodycare)
o a safe person or safe space
o gentle processing (journal,walk, quiet)
o to mark the moment: “That washard. I got through it.”
· Boundaries that protectrelief:
o I don’t have to immediatelyre-enter stress because I feel better
o I don’t have to explain myrelief to people who don’t get it
o I can protect the pause
· What helps me in the moment(0–5 minutes):
1. Let the exhale happen.
2. Put a hand on chest/belly andnotice: “I’m here. It’s quieter.”
3. If tears come, let them.
4. One sentence: “This is relief.My body is releasing.”
· What helps me the same day(5–60 minutes):
1. Do one recovery action: shower,meal, nap, slow walk.
2. Write 3 lines: what ended, whatI survived, what I need next.
3. If I can: tidy one small area(signals safety to my brain).
· What helps me longer term:
o practise noticing relief (so mybrain learns safety exists)
o build “relief rituals” afterhard things (tea, bath, quiet music, craft)
o track what creates relief(boundaries, distance, support) so I repeat it
o allow the grief that sometimesfollows relief
· Sometimes relief triggers acrash: exhaustion, tears, or shutdown.
· That doesn’t mean I’m goingbackwards — it can mean my body finally stopped bracing.
· Vignette ideas:
o The moment I got an answer andmy shoulders dropped.
o The first time I felt reliefand realised how long I’d been holding my breath.
· Relief often sits near: Overwhelm, Anxiety, Fear, Grief, Calm, Hope
· Relief can be followed by: Exhaustion, Sadness, Anger, Gratitude
· Tools that support me here: recovery routine, journaling, grounding, “mark the win” list,safe-space reset
· I’m not a therapist. I’msharing my lived experience and what I’ve learned along the way — because themore we talk about these experiences and emotions honestly, the more chance wehave of protecting future generations.
· Read more about this projecthere: About 101 Emotions (link)