Tired of Playing Emotional Tetris: How to Manage Your Feelings Without Getting Stuck

You know that moment in Tetris when the blocks just keep coming, and suddenly you’ve got this towering mess with nowhere for anything to fit? Yeah, sometimes life feels like that. Our emotions—stress, anger, discouragement, sadness—come at us fast and in all kinds of shapes, and if we don’t figure out how to place them, they pile up. And then? We’re stuck.

The good news? You can learn to play the game. It’s not about being perfect or eliminating challenges; it’s about learning how to adapt, clear some space, and keep going. Just like in the game, you’ll get better at it with practice. Here are a few ways to start.

Step 1: Pause and Look at the Pieces

First things first—stop. Take a breath. You can’t handle emotions if you’re running on autopilot, overwhelmed by a mountain of feelings. It’s like in Tetris, when the screen is chaos, and you need to figure out what’s coming next.

Maybe you’re feeling stressed about work, but underneath that stress is fear of making a mistake. Maybe you’re irritated with a partner, but it’s actually because you’re running on fumes and just need some quiet time. Recognizing what you’re actually feeling—and being able to name it—is the start of being able to regulate and manage.

And here’s something you might not have considered. There’s no such thing as a “wrong” block in Tetris, and there are no wrong emotions in life. The key (trust me on this) is not to judge yourself for the emotions you’re having. It’s okay to be mad, sad, frustrated, or even joyful when you think you “shouldn’t” be. Just acknowledge that the block is there. It’s part of your board for now.

Step 2: Rearrange and Release

Here’s where you start making space. Not every emotional block will fit into your life perfectly—and that’s okay. The important thing is to decide where it belongs and what you can do about it. Sometimes, you hold onto feelings for too long, and they just sit there, creating clutter. The goal is to rearrange where you can and release what you can’t control.

For example, you’ve had a fight with a friend. But instead of letting that stack of resentment and hurt feelings take up space, you can ask yourself, “What’s in my control here?” Maybe it’s apologizing. Maybe it’s letting them know how you feel. Or maybe it’s realizing that you can’t fix this one and reminding yourself it’s okay to leave certain things behind.

Journaling, meditation, or venting to someone who understands can help. The point is that you have to clear those emotional “lines” so there’s room for clarity and peace.

Oh, and don’t forget to celebrate the small wins here. Every time you release an emotion that’s not serving you, that’s a step forward. Even the tiniest bit of progress counts.

Step 3: Build Your Emotional Resilience

Here comes the part no one likes to hear but is super important—Tetris never stops. Life keeps sending new blocks your way, and sometimes the shapes just get weirder. The way to keep up? Build resilience.

This doesn’t mean you have to be unshakable or have it all figured out. It means giving yourself the tools to not crumble when things feel hard.

Be kind to yourself. Seriously, stop being so hard on yourself when you mess up. Do you know anyone who plays a perfect game of Tetris every time? (Spoiler alert—they don’t exist.) Learning from mistakes without beating yourself up goes a long way.

Create a toolbox. These are your go-to coping tools for when life gets overwhelming. It could be anything that makes you feel steady—yoga, calling your best friend, baking, painting, running, playing with your dog, or just going outside for fresh air. Having a list of things to turn to is like having a cheat code for the tough times.

Lean on others. Don’t do it alone. Just like it’s more fun to compare Tetris scores with friends, it’s easier to manage emotions when you have people to lean on. Whether it’s coaching, therapy, a trusted friend, or family, asking for help doesn’t make you weak—it makes you smart.

And the more you practice, the easier it gets. You’ll find that you’re better at recognizing emotions, adapting when things get tricky, and even playing the long game instead of worrying so much about the moment.

Step 4: Know When to Pause

There’s this thing we do where we just go go go until we hit a wall. But you know what? Pausing is powerful. Sometimes, life’s emotional pile-up can feel like too much, and the best thing you can do is take a break.

I mean, in Tetris, there’s no problem worse than panic. If you’re rushing to place the pieces, you only make things worse. It’s the same with emotions. Step back. Breathe. Write down what you’re feeling, or just sit with it for a while. That pause can give you the perspective you need to reset.

A Final Thought

Getting “unstuck” emotionally isn’t about doing everything perfectly. It’s about taking small steps to understand your feelings, sort through them, and make space for what really matters. You won’t always get it right, and that’s okay. Even in Tetris, every mistake is a chance to learn and get better.

So next time life’s blocks start piling up remember, you can’t control every block that falls, but you can adjust how you stack them.

Your emotions aren’t here to stop you—they’re here to help you grow, piece by piece.

Emotional Tetris isn’t about playing perfectly—it’s about showing up, adapting, and doing your best with what life throws your way. One block at a time, one moment at a time—you’ve got this.