Understanding Emotions
The most recent Refocus event (27.01.22) focused on emotions, understanding them and how to recognise what you are feeling. Linda Neville, owner of SanaMente and mental health expert gave us her insight into emotions, where they come from, why we have them and more.
Linda explained that a focus on compassion and emotions go hand in hand. We must view our own emotions through the lens of compassion as well as other people's. Compassion has seven components to it: kindness, understanding, dignity, respect, wisdom, courage and strength. Using these elements we can assess our relationship in terms of compassion from the world to us, us to the world and our relationship with ourselves.
We then went on to discuss what an emotion actually is. Many of us know the term, but do we really know what it means? Simply put an emotion is a feeling which comes from within. One of our attendees added that the way in which we manage and deal with emotions can be influenced by our upbringing.
Our emotions are there to guide us NOT drive us. Whilst emotions are helpful to us to let us know there is something we must pay attention to, they can become overwhelming and if we're not careful they can drive us to making poor reactionary decisions. For example, if a friend does something that upsets us, we may tend to act rashly and cut them out of our lives. What we must do instead is give ourselves the time and space to process, understand and deal with our anger or sadness. This way we can make better, more clear-headed decisions which give us the best outcome.
It was explained that the duration and frequency of a particular emotion we experience depends on the intensity of the situation and therefore how we feel. Emotions come from within, but may be affected by a number of different factors, such as: the emotions of people around us, an unpleasant or particularly pleasant situation, something we are looking forward to or something that has happened to us, our upbringing and the setting we are in day-to-day.
In the 80's, a psychologist called Plutchik developed the Emotions Wheel. Until then psychology focused on 5 main emotions: sadness, anger, happiness, disgust and fear.. Linda explains that fortunately today, positive psychology plays more of a role - psychologists appreciate and look at our positive emotions too.
We now know there are many emotions, and many feelings which belong to these too- like the Emotions Wheel displays. For instance, we may not always equate someone feeling impatient to them feeling anxious and therefore scared.
The wheel can be helpful when we look at our own feelings to identify and recognise them but also to see what root emotion we are feeling. This can then help us to manage the emotion effectively. The wheel can also be helpful when noticing how others feel. More understanding means we are then able to treat those around us with compassion.
The next Refocus event will be on the 10th of February and will be Linda talking on managing emotions. Please book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/256900615657
Managing emotions can be difficult for everyone. Join Linda Neville for this event focusing on healthy and unhealthy ways to manage our emotions. Learn techniques which will help you cope, process and deal with your feelings in the most beneficial way to you possible.
This will be a really beneficial topic to follow on from yesterday's event and I can't wait to learn how to cope with emotions more healthily, now I know how to properly identify them.
Our Strive Online Community helps you develop your personal resources and understand the emotions that make you react the way you do to situations and crisis. We will guide you through the ten keys of happiness with a variety of learning resources and activities that you can plan day-to-day. Our Strive approach is flexible non-intrusive and you can do at your own pace. No counsellors, no intrusive meetings you take control of your life and the way you live it.
Tagged as: compassion, emotions
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