How do you feel? What’s that emotion?
Ever been told you feel everything or that you’re “too” emotional ?
The human experience is full of feeling and emoting. Lets take a closer look at these terms. What is Emotion? Immediate physiological response to perceived stimulus. Chemicals released throughout our body that last about six seconds.
Why do we have Emotions? Emotions continuously regulate every living cell to adapt to emerging threats and opportunities. They provide raw data about the world around us that is essential to our functioning. What is Feeling? The physical & mental sensations that arise as we internalize emotions. Feelings are cognitively saturated emotion chemicals.
Why do we have Feelings? Feelings are how we begin to make meaning of emotion; they cause us to pay attention and react to the perceived threats or opportunities. We’re acting on emotional data.
What is Mood? Mood is a mix of feelings and emotions as we go through our days; a mood is a semi-persistent mental + physical + emotional state.
Why do we have Moods? Often the threats & opportunities that emotions and feelings signal are not just one-off; by having a lasting mood, we stay attuned to handle what’s next.
As distinct as these are, they are also very symbiotic. How do you recognize these experiences in your day to day?