How Not to Be Ruled by Emotions

“Emotion is an affective and momentary psychic state which consists in the reaction that the organism opposes to perceptions or representations which disturb its balance”

In other words, emotions are red flags that tell us when something is happening that can have consequences, positive or negative, on us.

They were transitory, but they can turn into something much more lasting until they become real obsessions.

How long does an emotion last?

According to some accredited studies, its duration does not exceed 90 seconds, a minute and a half during which in our mind the stimulus we have received is quickly examined.

After this time, the emotion dies out. Or at least it should happen. But we know that things don't always turn out that way and that emotions often take over and linger for a much longer period.

Be careful though: at this point, however, a transformation has already occurred, our emotions have become feelings!

Difference Between Emotion, Feeling, and Mood

What differentiates an emotion from a feeling? As we have seen, emotions are immediate and caused by external or internal stimuli, but always beyond our control. The fundamental difference lies in our awareness of how we feel. If emotions arise without our realizing it, in the case of feelings, awareness of the causes and effects that accompany them is assumed.

The shift from emotion to feeling happens because we feed it. When we feel an emotion, instead of letting it fade, we tend to reinforce it with thought, and the more we think about what we feel, the more we give it strength and make it more persistent and more aware.

At that point, the emotion will have taken over us and it will be much more difficult to push it away.

But it is not finished. Even feelings, while being more stable states of mind than emotions, need to be nurtured to continue over time. The more we are involved with a feeling, the more our mind will focus on it until the feeling becomes a state of mind, that is, a stable emotional condition that influences and modifies our personality.

These stages are determined by our characteristics, by how we are introspective and inclined to reflect on situations. The more aware we are of the emotion, the more we will make it become a lasting part of us and our mood.

What are the strongest emotions?

The emotions we perceive more strongly, those that turn out to be the most intrusive and capable of influencing us, are usually the negative ones: anxiety, anger, fear, jealousy, and sadness.

This is because if we think of emotions as sentinels alerting us to what is happening to prepare us to respond most appropriately, it is easy to see how it is more useful for our survival to be aware. potentially dangerous situations rather than situations that can make us happy.

The problem is not so much feeling negative emotions, but what these emotions can cause: unjustified fear and excessive anxiety.

MUSIC TO REGULATE EMOTIONS

Is it possible to remove a thought?

The question is inevitable: is it possible to force yourself to suppress a thought? And the answer is just as inevitable: no.

Let's take an example in this regard. George Lakoff, a linguist, and neuroscientist uttered this phrase: "Now for a minute, let's try not to think of a pink elephant."

It's crazy, isn't it? None of us would have thought of a pink elephant, yet we can't get that image out of our minds. We can't follow what we have been asked to do.