Understanding Emotions Emotions – signals that tell your mind and body how to react.
-
Upload
kathleen-lamb -
Category
Documents
-
view
231 -
download
3
Transcript of Understanding Emotions Emotions – signals that tell your mind and body how to react.
Understanding Emotions
Emotions – signals that tell your mind and body how to react
Emotions affect all sides of the health triangle
Joy– Release brain chemicals that make you fell
warmth and a sense of well-being– Promotes mental/emotional health– Improves relationships
Fear– Fight or flight response – physical changes
sweating, increased heart rate, increase breathing rate, tightening of muscles, slowed digestion
Identifying your emotions
Sometimes you know exactly why you feel a certain way
Sometimes you have no idea what caused that emotion to occur– Hormones – a chemical
secreted by your glands that regulate the activities of different body cells
Accurately identifying what emotion you are feeling will help you respond in a healthy way
Happiness
What are some words that describe how you feel when you are happy?
Sadness
A normal, healthy reaction to difficult events What are some words that would describe
how you feel when you are sad? May be mild and fleeting or deep and long-
lasting
Love
What are some words that describe how you feel when you are feeling love?
Can be expressed through words or actions How can you show love to others?
Empathy
The ability to imagine and understand how someone else feels
Different from sympathy
Fear What are some words that describe how
you feel when you experience fear? Phobia – exaggerated fear What are some examples of phobias?
Guilt
What are some words that describe how you feel when you experience guilt?
Results from acting against one’s values or failing to act when you should have
Anger
What are some words that describe how you feel when you are angry?
Common reaction to being emotionally or physically hurt
If not handled in constructive ways it can result in violence– Hostility – the intentional use of unfriendly or
offensive behavior Hostile people are 4-7 times more likely to die from
heart disease
Dealing with emotions in a positive way
Every time you experience an emotion, you have a choice of how you will handle it
Strategies for responding to your emotions– Look below the surface – What are you really reacting to?– Will this matter later (tomorrow, next week, next month,
next year)?– Thoroughly consider the possible consequences before
taking action– Let positive feelings inspire you. Relieve negative
feelings.– If a negative feeling doesn’t go away…seek help.
Defense Mechanisms
Mental processes that protect individuals from strong or stressful emotions or situations
Common Defense Mechanisms
Suppression– holding back or restraining – conscious, intentional
pushing of unpleasantness from one’s mind Repression
– involuntary pushing of unpleasant feelings out of conscious thought
Rationalization – making excuses to explain a situation or behavior rather
than directly taking responsibility for it Regression
– reverting to behaviors more characteristic of an earlier stage of development
Common Defense Mechanisms
Denial – unconscious lack of acknowledgement of something
that is obvious to others Compensation
– making up for weaknesses and mistakes through gift-giving, hard work, or extreme efforts
Projection – attributing your feelings or faults to another person or
group Idealization
– seeing someone else as perfect, ideal, or more worthy than everyone else
Handling Fear
Some fear is healthy and natural. It is only a problem if it is irrational or uncontrollable
Overcoming fear– Identify your fear– Talk about your fear– Learn about fear
Managing Fear
You can choose how to approach your fears– 1. Forget Everything And Run– Or– 2. Face Everything And Rise– The Key is having the knowledge, skills, and
support to know how to face the fear.
Dealing with guilt Try to get to the source and deal with the
problem Do your best to right the wrong Learn from the experience and be more
responsible in the future Check yourself to make sure it was within
your control. If not, it is not your guilt.
Managing Anger
Get at the underlying source and address it– Even if you can’t do anything about the source
Cope with your feelings
Strategies for Managing Anger
A 12-step program developed by doctors at Duke University Medical Center
Some examples– Try seeing an upsetting issue from the other person’s
perspective– Learn to relax– Practice trusting other people– Develop your listening skills– Learn to assert yourself. Using assertiveness – instead of
aggression – can improve your relationships and help you achieve your goals
– Remember that life is short. Ask yourself whether you really have time to get angry
Managing Anger Activity
1. Write the following headings on your paper– Do something to relax– Re-channel your energy– Talk to someone you trust– Get some physical activity
2. Under each heading list at least 2 activities you can try the next time your are Angry and record them in your phone. For extra Credit if you qualify (meaning all your other work has been completed) you can access your “Anger Management Techniques” in your phone the next time your are angry and put one or more of them to use. Then write a paper clearly communicating the following;
1. What made your angry? 2. How did you feel before and after using
your “Anger Management Technique”? 3. Were you able to move forward in a
positive way in the relationship with the person or people you were angry with?
4. Did you use your healthy communication skills to try and move beyond the argument?