There is much more to be written about emotions; how to regulate them, how to process them, how to begin to even feel them.
(For myself, I often experience my emotions, long after an incident is over. During the actual event, I'm often quite frozen.)
No doubt I will return to Emotions in a future segment of this blog; but for now, I'd like to move on to other topics.
To summarize:
Emotions are perhaps the bedrock of our human experience. They serve a very useful purpose in motivating us and helping us make decisions. They guide us in what we are attracted to, and what we avoid.
If we haven't been validated in our emotions during our lives; if emotional regulation hasn't been modelled; if we haven't found or developed healthy ways of expressing emotions, they can become problematic. Life-threatening, in fact. To the point where we want to harm ourselves or die, just so as not to feel them.
Furthermore, understanding how the brain works can help us understand the "seat" of our emotions. It is good to know that parts of the brain may, in fact, work against us, in seeking out and remembering threats more than positive experiences.
It is also good to know, that we can challenge some of these thoughts and perceptions, and begin to "rewire" the brain towards a more life-affirming reality. In fact, we can utilize the brain's response to smells and music to our benefit.
With repetition and practice, we can change ourselves, our brains, and our emotional responses to life.
(For myself, I often experience my emotions, long after an incident is over. During the actual event, I'm often quite frozen.)
No doubt I will return to Emotions in a future segment of this blog; but for now, I'd like to move on to other topics.
To summarize:
Emotions are perhaps the bedrock of our human experience. They serve a very useful purpose in motivating us and helping us make decisions. They guide us in what we are attracted to, and what we avoid.
If we haven't been validated in our emotions during our lives; if emotional regulation hasn't been modelled; if we haven't found or developed healthy ways of expressing emotions, they can become problematic. Life-threatening, in fact. To the point where we want to harm ourselves or die, just so as not to feel them.
Furthermore, understanding how the brain works can help us understand the "seat" of our emotions. It is good to know that parts of the brain may, in fact, work against us, in seeking out and remembering threats more than positive experiences.
It is also good to know, that we can challenge some of these thoughts and perceptions, and begin to "rewire" the brain towards a more life-affirming reality. In fact, we can utilize the brain's response to smells and music to our benefit.
With repetition and practice, we can change ourselves, our brains, and our emotional responses to life.
No comments:
Post a Comment