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Irene Zamora: "The goal of self-knowledge is to live genuinely"

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Many times we limit ourselves to experiencing our emotions as if they were something that we simply have to resign ourselves to feeling. However, in addition to this, the truth is that we can get to know them, understand the logic from which they operate.

We will talk about this in this interview with Irene Zamora: the way in which we can enhance our self-knowledge of emotions through elements such as Mindfulness.

Interview with Irene Zamora: self-knowledge of emotions from Mindfulness

Irene Zamora Sauma is a psychologist and coach specialized in Emotional Well-being and with more than 20 years of experience in this field, with consultation in Curridabat. In this interview he talks about the link between emotional self-knowledge and Mindfulness.

How would you define the term “self-knowledge”?

It is the possibility that all human beings have of being able to direct our attention to ourselves. Observing ourselves without judgement, creating a space of intimate relationship with our being. Where through conscious feeling and contemplation we can recognize and structure our systems of

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beliefs in order to meet our needs.

What special characteristics does the self-knowledge of emotions have compared to other processes of knowing oneself?

We have been taught to experience emotions in a certain way without understanding their true functionality. The emotions are the responses to internal and external stimuli. They function as messengers.

Emotions have both an expansive and contractive physical response, which has a sensory sequence. Our senses are stimulated and they send the information to the nervous system, where physiological, cognitive and behavioral components provide us with a series of signals before the received message. We observe that every experience has an emotional tone depending on each individual, where the result is unique despite sharing similarities of expression according to the processes of socialization. Which in a certain way leads us to allow ourselves to feel some emotions and others we block them by their social cognition, causing us discomfort. By aiming to “not feel” something that we are feeling, it produces a rupture between what is desired and what is being experienced.

If we open ourselves to feeling, we will be able to listen to the message that the emotion comes to give us. Which can be from a physically adaptive message to an emotional or motivational adaptive message for making a decision. this is how we go managing our emotions, in this way we not only survive, but also learn to live fully in well-being through them.

Is the process of self-knowledge of emotions very long and complicated? Does it take a long time to perceive significant results?

It does not have to be complicated, since it is a very natural process, but we have forgotten it, acquiring other behaviors less adaptive, but in one way or another, at certain times they worked for us and we assumed them as valid or as the only way. An example of this may be control.

The process of self-knowledge It is very active and requires practice. It is in presence, which is why it is not a long process, we experience it in the here and now. The behavioral results in emotional self-regulation can be seen immediately, but the awareness of making it part of our daily lives. From the experience of my clients, I could say that I notice changes from the fourth or fifth week.

What is Mindfulness and how is it linked to our ability to know our “I”?

The Full attention it is the ability to be in the present moment, with all my attention to perceive what is happening in this moment. It is also the presence where our field of action is. It is a very compassionate process because from my feelings I can accept what happens and commit myself to the actions to follow.

Could you give small examples of useful Mindfulness exercises to enhance self-awareness of Emotions?

One of the exercises that I like to work on the most is the body scan. Through this technique we bring our attention to our body through breathing: observing which areas call our attention.

We can notice in which areas of our body there is tension. What happens when we send our breath into that area. Whether the sensation increases or decreases. We can use the imagination to give, through form, qualities (color, size, vibration) to that sensation. This helps us put a distance between ourselves and the sensation, without judgment, so that we can identify it. When we identify the emotion we can see its message and this will help us self-regulate.

Example: We perform a body scan and notice that there is a tightness in the chest, when inhaling and exhaling. By bringing my attention to her I can notice how the sensation increases. When I start to visualize, I see the sensation as a hard, gray, heavy object that makes me feel pressured. Continuing with the visualization we can observe that new sensations emerge if we move that object from place, if we move it away or bring it closer. This gives us the possibility to identify the emotion (in this case we identify it as anxiety). Once identified, I can see what thoughts or situations I relate to the sensation, seeking emotional self-regulation.

Do you think that we would avoid many unnecessary problems and forms of discomfort if we stopped assuming that we know each other well?

It is important to recognize the forms of relationship with ourselves and others that we have. Knowing my areas of opportunity and strengths as well as my areas of improvement or limitations so that my actions go in the same direction. Being aware that our needs, as well as our strategies for satisfying them, can change, as does the environment.

The discomfort in this case does not come from the assumption of knowing ourselves, but from the beliefs, mandates or labels that we assume when we believe: how or who we should be.

The objective of a process of self-knowledge is to live genuinely, authentically with ourselves, where our feelings, actions and thoughts are consistent. That coherence for me is living in well-being.

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