The Purpose Behind Emotions

We experience a range of emotions on a daily basis, with transitions between emotions potentially occurring moment to moment. Most individuals can manage their responses to such emotions in a manner that is appropriate to the situation provoking them. When responses become disproportionate to the emotional trigger, more intensive work is necessary to understand the purpose behind these emotions.

All Emotions Are Valid. Not All Emotions Are Justified.

All emotions are valid: they are perceptible, and able to impact our subsequent thoughts and behaviors. Not all emotions are justified: they do not serve to adequately handle the occasion that evoked them. By garnering a firmer comprehension of what our emotions are trying to tell us, and by preparing for situations where they are most likely to arise, we can more effectively choose our responses to our emotions, instead of letting them choose our responses for us.

Positive Emotions

Besides people who have has more severe mood disorder diagnoses, people tend not to seek out help when experiencing an abundance of love and/or happiness. That does not mean those two emotions aren’t important to explore. They give us an indication that what we are doing serves us in a positive way. They act as reinforcement for the relationships, activities, and aspects of our lives that would be in our benefit to maintain. Too often we discount these emotions when the more uncomfortable ones become present.

From Negative To Positive Emotion

Anger and anxiety, while certainly not pleasant, can serve as fuel in recognizing the need to take action towards a situation, either to rectify a wrong against us, or to complete the tasks necessary for our success. When identified early and kept stable, anger propels us to stand up for what we believe to be right. When identified early and kept stable, anxiety propels us to handle our responsibilities and plan for the future.

Understanding The Meaning Of Emotions

Some of the hardest and potentially most debilitating emotions for people to reconcile include guilt, sadness, and shame. Guilt can actually give us the chance to strengthen our relationships and improve our behaviors moving forward. Guilt tells us when we feel we have done wrong and provides motivation to correct it. Whereas sadness can likely make us withdraw from those closest to us, it tells us when we are in most need of comfort and support. Shame forces us to look at the values we hold, and whether or not our behaviors, or the behaviors of others around us, are in congruence. It makes us look at our core beliefs, and whether or not they are in alignment with the lives we lead.

Each emotion can warrant an in-depth analysis, but the idea is that all emotions serve a purpose. We need not shy away from the ones we dislike, and we need not disregard the ones that keep us moving down a positive path. The better we get at identifying emotions as they arise, and the more tools we acquire to better regulate them, the better we can utilize our emotions to better ourselves.