What is life but a sequence of events, both negative and positive, following each other in a series the way the frames on a film roll follow each other. What lends colour to these images are our emotions. They help us understand our experiences as joyous or sad, dull or exciting, satisfying or unsatisfying. However, our emotions do not just help us categorize our experiences. They also have the power to affect our health and well-being, and to even indirectly influence the direction our life may take.
In the 1970s, psychologist Paul Eckman identified six basic emotions that are experienced universally. These emotions are happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise and anger. Based on his research, a seventh emotion i.e. contempt was added to this list later. These basic emotions can combine and create secondary emotions like pride, jealousy or frustration etc. However, other models of basic emotions also exist. For example, a 2017 study from University of California, Berkley has identified as many as 27 distinct emotions.
Our emotional development starts soon after birth. Babies express their emotions through cooing, smiling and crying. Toddlers express theirs by making up stories and songs, drawing pictures or even throwing a tantrum. And then comes the stage of learning how to manage their emotions. The process of learning to manage emotions continues for a long time.
Before going further, it would be useful to consider the anatomy of emotion and understand what constitutes it. Any emotion is a complex state that consists of three components – a subjective experience, a physiological response and a behavioural response.
The first component differentiates how someone feels the effect of an event. Although the basic emotions are universal in nature and are experienced by everyone, the way they experience them may differ. For example, stubbing a toe against a piece of furniture may cause the same degree of pain to two different people. Yet, one of them might blame their own clumsiness for it while the other might take it as another sign that the universe is conspiring against them.
The physiological response is the involuntary physical reaction to an experience. It can be quite noticeable like getting palpitations after a frightening experience or the desire to tackle challenge due to an adrenaline rush, or less pronounced like satisfaction caused by a release of dopamine in the brain.
The behavioural response is the way we express our emotions. For example, some people express their anger through yelling while others express it through a cold silence.
Our emotions can be adaptive or maladaptive. Adaptive emotions help us with healthy problem-solving, support our growth and have a positive effect on our well-being. On the other hand, maladaptive emotions lead us to develop unhealthy coping mechanisms such as avoidance or substance abuse, create negative consequences and contribute to psychological issues like depression or anxiety. Emotional regulation is how we deal with these two types of emotions.
This begs the question, why do we need to regulate our emotions? And the answer is that unregulated emotions, both positive or negative, can adversely affect our health and well-being.
Let us consider negative emotions first. Research has shown that chronic fear is associated to anxiety, which is linked to inflammation and lowered immunity(Michopoulos V, et al. 2017) . Happiness is linked to longer lifespan while chronic sadness is linked to poor physical health (Lawrence EM, et al. 2015). Anger is linked to illnesses like heart disease (Pimple P, et al. 2015). These are just a few examples that establish the effects of unregulated negative emotions and consequently, the need to regulate them.
The focus of research in this area has been on negative emotions, for the most part. But that does not mean that unregulated positive emotions pose no threats. Dysregulated positive emotions can cause an increase in impulsiveness, which can lead to high-risk behaviours, which can in turn contribute to anxiety and depression. Techniques such as Savouring and Reappraisal can help regulate positive emotions. Savouring entails consciously paying attention to extend and enhance positive experiences. Reappraisal means reinterpreting positive experiences to feel a heightened appreciation for them.
To regulate negative emotions, two techniques have been found to be helpful – attention control and mindfulness. Attention control requires us to shift the focus of our attention away from our negative emotions, to prevent us from dwelling upon them. Mindfulness is centring ourselves in the present moment, and without judgement. It enables us to observe our emotions without letting our mind to get carried away with them.
By understanding how emotions work, their impact on our life and the way to regulate them, it becomes possible for us to live in a healthier, more positive and wholesome way.
Bibliography
Michopoulos V, P. A. (2017). Inflammation in fear- and anxiety-based disorders: PTSD, GAD, and beyond. pp. 42:254-270. doi:10.1038/npp.2016.146.
Pimple P, S. A. (2015). Association between anger and mental stress-induced myocardial ischemia. Am Heart J., pp. 169(1):115-121.e2. doi:10.1016/j.ahj.2014.07.031.
Lawrence EM, R. R. (2015). Soc Sci Med. , pp. 145:115-9. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.09.020.
