We all have fire alarms in our homes to alert us to danger, keeping us safe. Sometimes, they go off unexpectedly, making us jump out of our seats in a panic. But when our brains realize it’s just burnt toast, we calm down, reassure our dog that everything is okay, and turn off the alarm. What we don’t do is take out the batteries to stop it from ever ringing again. So why do we often try to silence our negative emotions instead of understanding them? Just like fire alarms, our emotions are there to keep us safe, even if they sometimes go off for no serious reason. The smoke alarm knows one thing: detect smoke and give the signal. Our brains are similar, but the “smoke” they detect is based on previous experiences. These signals, though sometimes false alarms, are important messages that need our attention.
How Our Brain Creates and Responds to Emotions
Our brain has a sophisticated way of creating and responding to emotions, primarily involving the limbic system and the prefrontal cortex. The limbic system, often considered our emotional brain, processes emotions and forms memories. It’s the part that sets off those emotional alarms. The prefrontal cortex, our rational brain, evaluates these signals and helps us make decisions. Sometimes, our limbic system and prefrontal cortex fight for control. For example, imagine an athlete feeling intense fear before a big game. Their limbic system triggers a fear response, but their prefrontal cortex tries to rationalize it, knowing they’ve trained hard and are prepared. When we feel under threat, our limbic system takes over, making our more rational and logical prefrontal cortex quieter. This is often why we find ourselves saying things we later regret when we’re angry. Emotions are signals from our nervous system, arising from this interplay, guiding us on how to react to different situations.
Impact of Chronic Negative Emotions
Experiencing chronic negative emotions, like stress, anxiety, and anger, can seriously affect our health. Our bodies aren’t designed to be in a constant state of alarm, but modern culture often normalizes these feelings. We ignore the signals because stress and anxiety have become so common. The sympathetic nervous system, responsible for the fight-or-flight response, gets activated, keeping us in a state of readiness to tackle threats. This constant activation can lead to fatigue, digestive issues, poor sleep, and a weakened immune system. When we are stressed, our body releases cortisol, a hormone that helps us handle short-term stress. However, when cortisol levels remain high for extended periods, it can lead to inflammation, disrupt our sleep, weaken our immune response, contribute to weight gain, and so much more. For instance, long-term stress at work can lead to chronic health issues, affecting both physical and mental health.
The Function of Positive Emotions
Positive emotions, like joy, gratitude, and love, play a crucial role in our well-being. They signal safety and contentment, encouraging us to seek out more of what makes us feel good. When we experience positive emotions, our parasympathetic nervous system, known for the “rest and digest” response, gets activated. This helps our bodies relax, recover, and perform essential functions like digestion and immune response, contributing to our overall health. According to Dr. Mindy Pelz, at the top of the hormone hierarchy is oxytocin. If cortisol is running rampant, sparking oxytocin can help turn those signals off. The best ways to boost oxytocin are through human touch. Getting a regular hug from friends, or cuddling with your pets, helps tell your body that everything is okay and reduce cortisol. Imagine coming home after a stressful day and getting a warm hug from a loved one—it instantly helps you feel more relaxed and secure.
Emotions Aren’t Facts
It’s important to remember that emotions aren’t facts—they’re signals. Negative emotions can sometimes mislead us, preventing us from trying new things that our rational mind knows are beneficial, like making new friends. Similarly, positive emotions can sometimes lead us toward harmful behaviors, like indulging in addictive substances. When emotions take over, our prefrontal cortex often goes offline or gets fewer resources, leaving us ruled by the more primitive parts of our brain. Understanding this dynamic helps us use emotions wisely without letting them control us completely. One of the most important things we can do is practice our awareness of the signals from our nervous systems and take action to keep our emotions balanced, preventing limbic takeover. This is one of the reasons why we’re developing inTruth, emotional awareness technology, to help us recognise our emotions and take steps to balance them. Recognizing our four corners of health—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—and incorporating practices to nourish each of these is the first step to taking back control and feeling better, more often. For example, regular exercise, mindfulness meditation, and maintaining strong social connections can all help maintain this balance.
Understanding our emotions is key to navigating life effectively. They’re signals meant to guide us, not absolute truths to be followed blindly. Be curious about your emotions. Practice recognizing when to follow them and when to acknowledge them and move through them. This balanced approach will help you live a more resilient and fulfilling life. Remember, emotions are there to help us, but it’s up to us to interpret and use them wisely.
For more information about inTruth or to get involved, check out our website here.
