What are emotions?
Emotions are subjective states of feeling in response to internal or external stimuli that result in physical and psychological changes that influence our thoughts and behaviour. Emotions are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, and motivation. Emotions are fundamentally adaptive and can influence our decision-making, behaviour, and/or physiology by drawing our attention to what is significant in our environment, but can also impair/distort our memory and thoughts, and impact on our social relationships, well-being, and physical and mental health. Scientists recognise that there are five primary emotions that are universal across cultures: Joy/Happiness, Sadness, Fear, Anger, Disgust.
Even though emotions can bring high degrees of pleasure and displeasure, all emotions are adaptive, useful and tell us something different – we need to notice, name and make room for them.
Joy/Happiness: Can motivate proactive behaviour and helps to restore balance in physiological responses & aid recovery from “negative” emotions.
Sadness: has an emphasis on help seeking; and helps to elicit care & compassion from others.
Fear: is a response to threat or warning system (e.g., something is threatening/ challenging – need to fight or flight.
Anger: is also a response to threat or warning system (e.g., feeling threatened – scare away threat).
Disgust: helps us to avoid contamination and dismiss unwanted intrusions.
Thus, emotions are neither good nor bad, but evolutionary based and help us to navigate our environment. It is what we choose to do in response to our emotions that determines their positive or negative effect.
Interested in how to manage your emotions? Our next post will include useful strategies.