Emotions

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Emotions ~

Learn.

What are emotions?

Emotions are mental reactions to events or situations that  are experienced as strong feelings and encompass subjective experiences, psychological responses, and behavioral expressions (Source: Lisa Fedlman Barrett’s How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain). According to Dr. Lisa Feldman-Barrett, a distinguished psychologist and neuroscientist, emotions are not hardwired, they are constructed by the brain in the moment based on our individual past experiences, cultural context, and situational factors including our perceptions of the world. Emotions motivate behavior and prepare us for action.

How long does an emotion last?

Emotions are short-lived events. The chemical duration of an emotion can last from 90 seconds to two minutes. How long an emotion lasts is also influenced by a person’s ability to regulate their emotions (Source: Marc Brackett’s Permission to Feel).

How many emotions do I experience each day?

A person can experience hundreds of emotional shifts daily as the brain interprets information and is dependent on the complexity of the emotional experiences (Source: Barrett). Emotions can go unnoticed unless we take the time to recognize them consciously (Source: Brackett).

How long can an emotion have an impact on my body?

Stomach aches from anxiety and rapid heart palpitations from fear or worry are examples of common physiological reactions felt in the body in response to our emotions. The sympathetic nervous system (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn) becomes activated by a trigger (initiated by a thought or one of our five senses) which immediately mobilizes the body to respond to a real or perceived threat. The stressor has an immediate physiological effect on the body that can last up to 20 minutes before the body returns to a parasympathetic (rest and digest) state (Source: Harvard Health Publishing). For someone experiencing an extremely overwhelming emotional response, such as a panic attack, the body may take up to three hours (or even longer!) to return to a parasympathetic state. 

Are there variations of emotions?

Yes. A person’s experience with anger, for example, can vary from mild frustration to blinding rage. Additionally, individuals have varied physical experiences with anger. For instance, your face may turn red when you are angry, and someone else may experience their body shaking with a rapid heart rate when they are angry, embarrassed, or frustrated. Emotions are not universal reactions triggered by the outside world (Source: Barrett). The brain creates emotions as it tries to make sense of the signals it receives from the body and the environment.

How do emotions affect mental health?

Dr. Brackett's research shows that effectively regulating emotions with tools and techniques, such as RULER and the Mood Meter, helps individuals build the necessary skills to better navigate emotional experiences, which is crucial for maintaining positive mental health and wellbeing (Source: Brackett). Emotional dysregulation, whether through suppressing emotions or being overwhelmed by them, can lead to issues like anxiety, depression, or burnout.

How do emotions affect physical health?

There are various physiological responses to our emotions. Stress response is one of the major topics studied in the rapidly growing field of health psychology (Source: Cleveland Clinic’s What Is the Fight, Flight, Freeze or Fawn Response?). 

Research shows when we feel an emotion for an extended period of time it is because the thought or event is ruminated upon, it causes the physical effects of the emotion to linger and accumulate (Source: Brackett). Ruminating about experiences can lead to prolonged emotional states that often shift into what we consider moods. Dr. Brackett emphasizes the importance of emotion regulation to physical health. For example, persistent stress and anger can lead to increased cortisol levels when unaddressed can contribute to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or a weakened immune system (Source: Barrett). Positive emotions, those that are uplifting or motivating, have been found to reduce stress levels, enhance immune function, and improve overall physical resilience (Source: Brackett).

What is emotional contagion?

Research shows that emotions can transfer from one person to another and even to an entire group of people. The Wharton School of Business conducted the first study to determine if emotions were contagious at work (Source: Sigal G. Barsade, Constantinos G.V. Coutifaris, and Julianna Pillemer ‘s Emotional cognition in organizational life). The results of the study showed that a negative emotion from someone on the team can have a negative effect on the entire group. Conversely, a positive emotion can have a positive effect. Think about how much time you spend at work each day and how others' emotions may be impacting you in a positive or negative way.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

What is emotional intelligence (EI)?

Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and understand the emotions in oneself and others, the ability to regulate your own emotions, and the ability to use your emotions to facilitate performance (Source: Positive Psychology). Daniel Goleman, author of “Emotional Intelligence” expresses that emotional intelligence is far more important to our success and wellbeing than our IQ (Source: Daniel Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ).

Why is emotional intelligence (EI) important?

It is vital for individuals to learn how to understand and manage their emotions to facilitate better communication, empathy, and relationship building. High EI is associated with mental health and wellbeing.

Why is it important to label your emotions?

Dr. Lisa Feldman-Barrett’s research shows that labeling an emotion leads to a better ability to self-regulate and decreases the likelihood that an individual will use drugs or alcohol to cope with difficult emotions. Dr. Brackett states, “We can aspire to describe our emotions like we do fine wine.”

Fun Fact: There are over 2,000 words to describe emotions in the English language.

Why is it important to regulate your emotions?

Regulating your emotions can:

  1. Improve your physical health by reducing the physiological wear and tear caused by chronic emotional distress, and

  2. Improve your mental health by reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Ways you can regulate your emotions are through developing your emotional intelligence by using evidence-based strategies and techniques like mindfulness, grounding strategies, cognitive restructuring, or seeking social support. Check out the Change and Grow sections below for more tips.

Change.

How do you develop your emotional intelligence (EI)?

The Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, Dr. Brackett, and his colleagues  developed the RULER approach to enhance social emotional learning. The RULER acronym stands for:

  1. Recognize - notice your emotion

  2. Understand - figure out what triggered your emotion

  3. Label - name your emotion

  4. Express - find a healthy way to acknowledge your emotion (for example: journaling, talk therapy, creative activity, etc.)

  5. Regulate - become able to manage and respond to emotions in an effective way

“With emotion skills we create a more inclusive, compassionate, and innovative world.”
— Dr. Marc Brackett

Meta Moment

In his teachings, Dr. Brackett talks about “meta moments,” which he describes as intentional pauses that help us become our best selves before responding and reacting to a difficult emotion.

The Mood Meter

What is the Mood Meter? 

Dr. Brackett and his colleagues at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence created the Mood Meter as a tool to help individuals build the skills necessary to navigate emotional experiences through increasing emotional awareness, developing an emotional vocabulary, guiding emotional regulation and fostering empathy and emotional intelligence to  improve their mental and physical wellbeing (Source: Brackett).

The Mood Meter categorizes emotions into four color-coded quadrants based on levels of energy and pleasantness:

  1. Red (High energy, unpleasant) – Emotions like anger, frustration, and anxiety

  2. Blue (Low energy, unpleasant) – Emotions like sadness, loneliness, and fatigue

  3. Green (Low energy, pleasant) – Emotions like calmness, relaxation, and contentment

  4. Yellow (High energy, pleasant) – Emotions like excitement, joy, and enthusiasm

How is the Mood Meter used?

Use the Mood Meter as a quick way to check in with your feelings, help you become more aware of how your mood influences your day, and develop your emotional intelligence (EI). 

Discover your emotions with the Mood Meter:

You can either download the free app How We Feel to complete on your mobile device, or print the Mood Meter PDF and following the steps outlined below:

  1. What is your energy level at this moment? (1= lowest energy level to 10=highest energy level). Give your energy level a number between 1-10.

  2. What is your current mood at this moment? (1=Unpleasant to 10=Pleasant) Give yourself a number from 1-10.

  3. Plot your numbers on the graph and locate the emotion word. Does this word accurately describe the emotion you are experiencing?

  4. Every time you experience an emotion you can use the Mood Meter to check in with yourself to label your emotion. 

  5. Identify the thought, event, or trigger that led to that particular emotion. 

    • Notice how your energy level can impact the emotion you are experiencing. 

    • Notice how your mood can affect your emotion.

    • What positive coping skills can you practice to help you experience your emotions in a healthy way?  Check out our Learning Center to learn new coping skills and develop effective ways to regulate your emotions.

Grow.

Become an emotion scientist. Grow in your self awareness and increase your Emotional Intelligence  by incorporating strategies to recognize, understand, label, express and regulate your emotions in a healthy way. Check our Learning Center or the expanded reading and resources below to learn effective emotion regulation strategies and enhance and grow your emotional intelligence. 

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