What are emotions?

Emotions are reactions that human beings experience in response to events or situations. Emotions are important as they have a strong influence on our daily lives and can impact our decisions. There are many different types of emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and surprise. Depending on the trigger may depend on the emotion that is experienced.

Emotions are normal and healthy, everyone has them. They are useful for survival and to ensure we get our needs met. For example, the emotion of disgust assists us to not eat things that might make us ill.

Understanding our emotions can help us to navigate our life. They are important to communicate with other, to relate to others, motivate and drive our behaviours, and help us interpret the world around us.

Our emotions affect our thoughts and behaviours. Emotions are experienced in both the mind and body. When you feel anxious (hear racing, shallow breathing) you may also be thinking of all the worst case possibilities.  

We cannot change the emotions we feel. When we control or repress emotions they eventually come out in unhelpful ways (e.g. an explosion of anger). There is no bad or good emotions but how we express emotions or respond can be problematic.

We can learn to manage our emotions by acknowledging they are temporary and will eventually pass, even if it feels like they are unbearable. A helpful strategy to sit with our emotions is Riding The Wave.

To engage in this exercise bring to mind the image of a wave. Just like a wave our emotions eventually pass, change and reduce in intensity. They don’t last forever.

First begin by observing the emotions, acknowledge its presence and let it come and go. Try not to block or push away the emotion. Remind yourself you are not the emotion and this is just momentary. Don’t judge your emotion instead accept it for what it is. Do not act on your emotion when it is as it peaks. Wait until the emotion subsides, your mind will be clearer then.

Resources:

https://www.psychologytools.com/self-help/a-guide-to-emotions/

https://www.ted.com/talks/susan_david_the_gift_and_power_of_emotional_courage?language=en