They say, “I wish I didn't have a heart”
Let’s take a moment and imagine that people could live without a heart. They won't feel anything anymore?
The answer is NO. Your feelings don't come from your heart. They come from your brain. Your brain decides how you feel. So next time when you want to vibe on a lyrics, say “I wish I didn’t have a brain” instead XD.
While I’m talking about Brain, Heart, and Feelings, you might be wondering what’s gonna be today’s topic, right? This week, we have chosen to talk about your 'emotions' and how to manage them.
If something makes you sad, or if something makes you angry, you need emotional regulation skills so you don't carry it around in your daily life. Being able to manage emotions like this, is a sign of maturity and high emotional intelligence (EQ). It can also be considered one of the essential life skills.
Translation by @Blonded Graphics by @Glory #study_diary
"Where does your emotion come from?"
They say emotion comes from the brain but why do you feel pain in your chest when you think about him? Or her?
To understand this process, let me explain a little bit about emotions. Emotions are complex occurrences, and even scientists can't fully comprehend the entire process. There are still varying definitions of "what is emotion?" among them.
Normally, an emotion is a reaction that happens when you recall something from your past or comes from a scenario stuck in your mind. It can be divided into ‘Reactive’ and ‘Predictive’. A panic that comes from a common house gecko falling onto your head is called a ‘Reactive’ emotion, and the spontaneous fear that happens when you are standing on the side of the cliff is a ‘Predictive’ emotion.
If you see a snake in front of you, an important part of your brain called, “Amygdala", activates the hormone factory, ‘Hypothalamus’ and creates a ‘Fight or Flight’ mood. ‘Hypothalamus’ produces stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol and runs through your whole body from the blood vessels. That's why when you experience fear, your body automatically reacts with sweating and an increased heart rate. This process involves not only the heart rate but also physical responses like muscle tension. Your brain has the ability to translate your mental emotions into physical sensations, which is why you may have felt pain in your chest when you think about him.
Fear, joy, sadness, and other emotions can arise by triggering specific parts of your brain. These behavioral and emotional responses are orchestrated by a system known as the "Limbic System." This system includes crucial structures like:
• The 'Hypothalamus,' which plays a vital role in hormone production.
• The 'Hippocampus,' which is essential for memory function.
• The 'Amygdala,' responsible for regulating emotions and distinguishing between fearful and non-fearful stimuli.
• The 'Limbic Cortex,' which influences your mood, motivation, and analytical abilities.
"Facts that can influence your emotions"
Although people can't control all of their emotions, their thoughts, behaviours, and other physical activities can influence and impact their emotions. Your face can express how you feel, as your facial expressions have the power to influence your emotions. So, let's explore some of the factors that can influence your emotions.
1. Beliefs and Values
Your emotional response depends on your beliefs. Consider a situation where you are at a restaurant, and a beggar approaches, asking for money. If your belief is that "Beggars are also people with two legs and two hands. They don't work but seek money from others. If I give what they ask for, they will keep asking for it," you may ignore the request and possibly feel frustrated. However, if you believe "This person may have experienced unfortunate circumstances in life. I should help those who are facing greater hardships than myself," you may respond with empathy. Your beliefs shape your values and significantly impact how you emotionally react to various situations.
2. Genetics
According to your genetics, the formation of your brain, the working of neurotransmitters, and the level of hormones can be different. This difference can have direct effects on your emotions.
3. Upbringing ( Ways you get raised )
Out of these factors, one of the most significant ones is the way you were brought up in this world or how your parents raised you. Let's consider two students, 'A' and 'B.' A's parents are strict about his grades and reprimand him if he doesn't achieve good marks. On the other hand, B's parents are more lenient and provide their son with greater freedom. One day, both students receive bad grades. On their way home, A is feeling pressure and fears his parents' reaction, while B is thinking about getting emotional support from his parents and ways to get better scores next time. At the end of the day, B would have a more successful and less pressured life than A. The upbringing plays a major role in deciding how you would face different kinds of emotional problems.
4. Your personality and experience
Your experience that you had in your past and your personality which defines what kind of person you are, can affect the way you feel. Two people with different personalities can react differently to the same situation.
5. Emotional Regulation Skills
This means the way you feel can be different according to how well you are at your emotional regulation skills and coping skills which I will talk about later.
6. Society and cultural influences
Cultural influences can also have consequences on your emotions and especially on your expressions of how you feel. For example, certain cultures may encourage controlled reactions and emotional restraint, while others may encourage more expressive and open displays of emotions.
“How to manage when you experience a strong emotion”
Your cat passed away, your partner dumb you without any reason, you got fired from your job, you failed the entrance exam and those kinds of incidents happen every day in numerous ways. Like these things, some of the fun and exciting moments will be faced in your daily life. However you can’t completely control those emotions, you can manage them not to reach the edge in any circumstances. So if you experience a harsh emotion, here are some ways to regulate yours;
> Know
The most important first step in emotional management is to understand what you’re feeling. This may seem easy but in real life it is hard to even know. If your emotion is in a critical situation, take a moment to examine yourself what is going on in your mind. It’s called ‘Self-awareness’
> Accept
A negative reaction to your emotions involves not accepting your current condition and feeling guilty about what you're experiencing, even thinking that you are useless. Engaging in such thoughts won't make your emotions disappear; instead, they may intensify in your mind, leading to both mental and physical distress. That's why before conducting your feelings are valid or your faults, it's really important to accept them first. By doing so, you can better navigate and face your emotions, ultimately finding the most constructive way to address them.
> Understand
Knowing and accepting your emotion is not yet enough. You need to understand why this happens and what makes you feel this way, so that you can find the best solutions to fight them.
> Find a way
To regulate your emotion and deal with it, there are a variety of methods, starting with taking a deep breath. Those methods include muscle relaxation, meditation, going out to get some fresh air, journaling, opening up to someone you trust, and so on.
> View as a third person
Hide your bias as much as you can and try to see as a third person between you and the cause of the incident of your emotions. After that, you will find the matter you think is so big is not as important as you thought.
> Give yourself some time
It doesn’t mean you will feel an immediate relief when you follow all the steps above. Emotional Management is sort of controlling your feelings so that you don’t act impulsively in any matters. You need time to control yourself. Sometimes, it can take a long time to process everything that happens.
Please keep on reading to find out the disadvantages of not being able to regulate your emotions.
"Disadvantages of not being able to manage your emotions"
If you let your emotions overpower you and lose the ability to control them, you may experience various negative effects, both in the long term and short term. Some of these adverse effects are;
*Becoming easily irritable and getting angry at minor things.
*Struggling to relieve stress, leading to a decrease in memory ability.
*Frequently feeling frustrated without specific reasons.
*A decrease in work efficiency and productivity.
*A decline in self-confidence.
*Impairment in critical thinking and decision-making abilities.
*Feeling isolated and losing connections with the people around you.
*Detrimental impact on your work and studies.
*Difficulty understanding others and making inappropriate remarks or actions.
Emotional management is not a quality that comes from birth, but a skill that can be practiced. People’s actions and ideas are influenced by their emotions. For that reason, I suggest you examine yourself to see whether you are empathetic or sensitive, in order to manage your emotions and to try to be a mentally mature person.
Also for the next week, Study Dairy will be sharing about such an interesting topic. That’s why, don’t forget to like and follow our page. Stay tuned, Fountains!!!!
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