What do you need to know about Emotions?

Emotions accompany us from the moment we are born, they are always with us in every aspect of our growth and in every life experience. Even so, Not all people know how to recognize their emotions, or they know what to do when they feel a certain emotion.

Are emotions good or bad?

It is important to know that emotions are natural, they are not chosen, but rather they are part of us. And these fulfill adaptive functions, what does that mean? That emotions allow us to adapt and survive.

Clearly, learning to listen to them will allow us to understand why they appear, understand their function and be able to do something about it. Otherwise, it is likely that we ignore certain signals and that this could affect us in some way.

It is because of that We cannot classify emotions as “positive or negative.”, because they are neither good nor bad, they simply are. And listened to and managed favorably, they can really be very helpful. Yes, it is true that not all emotions are pleasant, but that does not mean that if they are not pleasant, then they are negative.

• Related article: "Emotional psychology: main theories of emotion"

The importance of managing emotions

What happens when we don't know how to recognize what we feel, or we don't know what to do with what we feel?

This is quite common, since we do not always have an environment that can educate us about emotions. It is important to know that Emotions cannot be controlled, but you can learn to manage them.

When we do not know how to recognize what we feel, we will not know what we really need, and It is also likely that the emotion increases or moves to other areas of our life, affecting them. also.

When we do not know what to do with an emotion, and we choose not to listen to it, the adaptive function that the emotion fulfills would be lost, and would lead us to have a dysfunctional or unproductive experience.

• You may be interested: "Emotional management: 10 keys to master your emotions"

How can I learn to manage my emotions?

• Recognize what I feel. It is easier for our brain to understand concrete things. Therefore, naming the emotion is important. Know what emotion I am feeling. If I don't know exactly how I feel, it helps to describe the sensations that that emotion generates in me.
• What does that emotion feel like?: what that emotion generates in me when it appears, how it feels in my body.
• Validate: Emotions are natural and part of life, accepting what I feel is important and then being able to take care of it. Denying what I feel doesn't make it go away.
• Take it into action: What do you need to do when you recognize what you are feeling? Does it make you want what? Here it is important that you take this time with yourself, to discover, understand, express and release. Emotion needs an escape route, and this does not have to be harmful to another person, or to yourself.
• Write down what you are thinking. Emotions also have a cognitive component. It is important that you can recognize what thoughts appear with a certain emotion, identify what you are thinking.
• Talk about what you feel: You can share with someone you trust about how you are feeling, or what you need to express. Talking can also help you better understand what is happening to you and what you need.

What other activities help you know and understand your own emotions?

• Connect with art. Draw, paint, write, dance. Art is the most primitive form of emotional expression that human beings have. If you can't recognize what you feel or what you are needing, starting to draw (or paint, or move) and simply let yourself be carried away by your feelings will also help to lighten or understand the emotion.
• Connect with your body. You can do it with your eyes closed or not, but try to focus your attention, along with slow breathing, on each part of your body, whether from head to toe or vice versa. And focus all your attention on how each part of your body feels, and what you feel it needs. This also helps since we are integral beings, and emotions are felt in the body. If we ignore the emotion, the body will express it in some way.
• Practice listening to yourself. About how you feel, what you feel, what you want and what you need. You can do it at the beginning or end of your day, or in the middle of your routine too.

Understanding emotions is a constant practice, at first it may feel complicated, but as you practice, you learn, By understanding your own body more, you learn about how you feel with each emotion and little by little it becomes easier to recognize them and understand them.

What other aspects can you take into account about emotions?

• The intensity of an emotion varies from person to person. As much as we all feel, we don't all feel the same way.
• All emotions are valid. Remember that you do not choose what you feel, you simply feel.
• If you feel that there is an emotion that accompanies you for much of the day, regardless of the activities you are doing, and it is affecting other areas of your life as well, it is better consult with a psychotherapist, in order to receive guidance in this regard.

Finally, understanding and managing emotions will allow you to be more consistent with yourself, not overload yourself, communicate and give you what you are needing, choose what you know you need, reduce physiological symptoms, among others.