Emotions Are Unproductive, And They Still Matter
That was my belief for a long time.
Emotions?
Messy.
Distracting.
A threat to focus, performance, logic, and leadership.
I didn’t have time to feel.
I had goals to chase.
A life to build.
People to impress.
A reputation to protect.
So I stuffed emotions into a box and labeled it “not helpful.”
Then I buried that box deep.
I told myself I was being efficient.
Driven.
Disciplined.
Logical.
But underneath?
I was anxious.
Reactive.
Disconnected.
Exhausted.
And here’s the irony—
Ignoring emotions doesn’t remove them.
It just reroutes them.
Into our bodies.
Our habits.
Our relationships.
It took me years (and a few hard breakdowns) to realize:
Emotions aren’t the problem.
They’re the signal.
The feedback.
The invitation to pay attention.
They tell us when we’re off course.
When we’re disconnected.
When something matters.
Sadness says you lost something important.
Anger says something crossed a boundary.
Fear says there’s risk here—slow down and look closer.
Joy says this is worth celebrating—stay present.
But if you were taught (like I was) that emotions make you soft,
you learn to downplay your humanity just to survive.
And let me say it plainly:
That comes at a cost.
The cost is deeper relationships.
The cost is clarity in decision-making.
The cost is emotional intelligence in leadership.
The cost is a life that actually feels like yours.
Emotions aren’t the enemy of productivity.
They’re the fuel for sustainable productivity.
They don’t make you weak.
They make you wise.
Once I stopped fighting my emotions, I got access to something I’d never had before:
Insight.
Peace.
Connection.
A more honest version of myself.
So if you’ve ever been told:
“Don’t be so emotional.”
“Man up.”
“Keep it together.”
“Feelings don’t solve problems.”
Let me offer something different:
Your emotions might be the key to solving the right ones.