
Therefore, emotions are not simply reactions to the environment but also to the assessment we make of what is happening to us.įor example, if a person throws a glass of water on us, the most consistent emotional reaction would be surprise since it is an unexpected event. The truth is that we do not react to reality, but rather to the meaning we give to that reality, and in that case it influences everything from our expectations and needs to our thoughts. However, the truth is that in each emotion there is a pinch of reason and in each thought there is a dose of feeling.Īlthough we act guided by the emotions that we are experiencing at that moment, in reality we are also reacting to a complex mental process that has occurred in the background: the cognitive interpretation that we have made of the event. We tend to think that emotions and thought are antagonistic processes that exclude or annoy each other. Neither feelings are so emotional nor thinking is so rational These researchers found that people with cancer who were able to detect, label and understand their emotions had lower levels of inflammation, a process that is at the root of this disease and is considered a poor prognosis. Other research developed at the University of Kansas went a step further by delving into the impact of emotional self-regulation on a physical level. The same happens at the level of feelings and emotions.Ī study conducted at George Mason University revealed that people who are able to detect and understand their emotions were less likely to turn to drugs, alcohol or food as escape routes. If you know them all, your musical universe will expand. If you only know one or two musical notes, they will be the only ones you will hear as you will pay more attention to them. Instead, knowing all the emotions and feelings will allow us to sharpen our emotional awareness.

Obviously, not knowing what emotions or feelings we are experiencing is an impediment to managing them in the most appropriate way. In fact, there are people who have very limited emotional self-knowledge because, although they experience a wide range of emotions, they are not able to accurately recognize them. We all experience emotions, but not all of us are able to recognize and manage them. However, we are not always able to name what we feel. The human affective sphere is extremely varied. We all experience different emotions and feelings.
