Have you ever felt happy and sad at the same time?

Or have you felt excited about starting a new endeavor but scared of falling flat on your face?

Consider the Comedy and Tragedy masks of the theater. To many, quarreling emotions may feel a lot like those masks look—conflicted.

Yet, feeling emotions that oppose one another is totally natural. Although you may feel at war with yourself, there are ways to work through these emotions.

Here are five keys that will help you to deal with conflicting emotions and find your inner peace.

1. Consider Heads and Tails

As the heading suggests, heads or tails gives you perspective. No, you don't actually need to go flip a penny. But consider that even heads and tails are two sides of the same coin.

This can help you to understand that you are made up of many different "sides," per se. Think of all the emotional facets that make you who you are.

To work through conflicting emotions, it's important to respect the experience as normal. As a result, your emotions won't get roadblocked.

2. Acknowledge All Emotions

Complicated relationships and multi-layered situations typical cause conflicting emotions. For example, upon hearing that your alcoholic and abusive father passed away, you may sense an array of emotions. Many of them will likely be conflicting—relief that you're safe along with loss that you never had a loving bond with him.

Although conflicting emotions are uncomfortable, it's important to acknowledge them. Doing this enables your emotions to move through you, rather than getting stuck. Which often happens if emotions are ignored.

3. Know Your Core Values

Working through conflicting emotions can be especially confusing if you don't really know what you value. Although opposing emotions are rarely the same intensity, they can still play tug-of-war with your thoughts. Thus, it's helpful to take a step back and consider your core values.

How do you know your core values? Hone in on the things in life that you truly value. These may be helping others, creating wealth, leaving a legacy, etc.

Knowing your core values will help you work through conflicting emotions because one emotion will align with what's truly important to you.

4. Journal Through It

One very tough element about conflicting emotions is that they motivate you to take action—but what action?

This is where journaling comes into play. Writing down your thoughts helps to narrate what you're feeling. This narration works to sort through difficult variables in a situation before you take any actions.

If you're not sure how to start journaling, simply ask yourself a series of "Why?" questions. Answer yourself each time and then explore the one that ultimately resounds with you. (Usually, this is the fifth question.)

5. Follow Your Routine

When faced with a difficult situation, many people become overwhelmed with conflicting emotions. For many, this becomes a reason to do something unexpected or out of the ordinary, even unhealthy.

For example, some turn to a substance to deal with conflicting emotions. Expecting alcohol or some other vice to silence the internal "dog fight," they look for answers in the wrong place.

Rather than going off-course, stick to your regular routine the best you can. This will allow you to find a resolving peace more quickly than trying to force it.

Conflicting emotions aren't always easy to deal with. In fact, because of the circumstances often surrounding them, they're rarely a cakewalk.

A therapist can help you to process any complex emotions you may be facing. Empowering you to navigate through the emotional noise, you can work through your conflicting emotions to find a resolution.

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