What is Emotional Autonomy?

Emotional autonomy is freedom from the anxiety that accompanies too much Contact (you want more breathing room) or not enough Contact (you want more closeness) in relationship. Emotional autonomy is a state-of-being where you are free from the influence of your fears about Contact. Autonomous, you experience your emotions and interact with people and situations, but you are not captured and overwhelmed by the experience. Emotional autonomy helps you make relationship choices based upon your personal truth rather than fear. It supports you to act upon what is meaningful for you without ignoring another’s needs. It involves responding to other people’s feelings without compromising your own or losing integrity. With emotional autonomy, you base your emotions, and the actions they stimulate, on information that is independent, but interrelated, to what another feels or wants. The result is a healthy relationship that is not overly dependent or too distant.  more