Feelings are a psychological
process. There are more than 1500 classified feelings, but emotions are
physiological processes and there are only five.
The basic emotions are: joy,
fear, disgust, anger, and sadness. These are the five ancient biological
emotions. Such emotions posses a fully adaptive function, and we share them
with the animal kingdom. Thanks to them, we have survived for thousands of years.
Emotions are a physiological
process that produce specific chemicals. These chemicals are linked to
information that we have received from a particular experience, allowing us to
adapt to the situation. Therefore, these chemicals are responsible for reinforcing
our neurological responses, guiding us to take action when facing a specific
event.
Emotions do not make any
distinctions between real or imaginative circumstances, and are much stronger
than reason. There aren’t good or bad emotions; all of them are adaptive. The
imbalances arise when we do not know how to manage them. Learning to recognize
our emotions and becoming aware of what we feel in every moment can help
prevent many emotional disorders, and power our general well being.
We need to experience emotions in
order to feel alive, but normally we are use to feeling those of discomfort
more, since those are the ones that are programmed in us. This happens because
throughout so many years of human history, men have been living in constant
danger: predators, starvation, natural disasters, etc. Learning how to process
emotions and empower the ones that make us feel good will aid us in facing
daily conflicts in a better way.
It’s important to understand the
difference between emotions and feelings. Feelings are psychological processes.
There are as many feelings as people. Feelings are the way that people
interpret whatever they believe that the emotions are making them feel. There
are more than 1,500 classified feelings in contrast with the five basic
emotions that exist, driving us to take action in order to survive and find
safety. The problem is that when we do not recognize them, we prolong their
effects and do not take action. In this case, we end up being sick, as a
consequence of the chemicals that our body releases pushing us to take action.
The human body does its best to protect you, and if it “thinks” that you are in
danger, it will do everything to keep you safe.
1- Joy allows us to reproduce:
It’s a “winning” emotion that will repeat all the things that make us feel
good. This emotion does not generate disease, and it’s the one that we need to
watch over in order to feel the rest of them less. (Remember that we need to
experience emotions in order to feel alive, at least until we figure out that
the peace we all look for is the absence of emotions).
2- Fear allows us to protect
ourselves from danger: Real danger makes us run, but when the danger is
imaginary, we won’t recognize it and will not do anything about it since we
have been taught that being afraid is for cowards.
3- Disgust makes us move away
from danger: In ancient times, disgust was meant to protect us from poisonous
or spoiled food. Today, it moves us away from emotional toxicity.
4- Anger makes us face danger:
There are belief systems that DO NOT allow us to hate or attack. It’s not
socially acceptable, so we often suppress this emotion or keep it inside to
express later on. An example of this is when we have a conflict with our
boss, a colleague, or a friend. We do not express ourselves in the moment, and
when we go home, we take it out on the people that we love or trust the most
(parents, partners, children, siblings). Another option would be that we wait
until there’s a soccer game, and we can let go of our emotion by expressing it
against the opposing team.
5- Sadness allows us to isolate
ourselves so we can cope with loss:
Losses such as unprocessed
mournings, denied or unrecognized loss, death of our loved ones, losing our
job, or losing a business or a property, could bring us sadness. If we accept
and embrace this sadness, we will free ourselves from it in a faster, more
efficient way.
To recognize and express what we
are feeling in every situation is the key to avoid emotional blockages in our
bodies that in time, may produce physical illness.
As I said before, we need to
experience emotions to feel alive. Sometimes, we even need to watch horror
movies, get involved in risky sports, or ride a roller coaster. The important
thing is to feel “something” so one can feel alive.
With this awareness, I encourage
you to empower your feeling of joy and your sense of humor. You could watch
comedies or even play like a child, or like an actor whose role is happy and
joyful.
In time, and with practice, these
emotions will become automatic and we will be happier. In experiencing these
emotions, our problems will become easier to resolve.
Source: Rosa
Pavón Batlle
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