Each culture has unspoken rules about emotions, and a lot of them encourage people to camouflage or ignore them. We need to move away from the simplistic categories which judge emotions as good or bad, or acceptable or unacceptable. We’ve been taught to categorise or deny our feelings, and the truth is that they exist to protect us.
Emotions move and bring useful information. They act for our own benefit, however, it’s our responsibility to control and manage them properly. Each emotion has its own function and carries different feelings with it.
Sadness:
Offers a potent power of healing and provides rejuvenation. It helps to maintain an emotional balance, relate with others and release tension. Society has trained us to believe that this emotion is harmful, directly and indirectly. There are numerous wrong beliefs about it. Sadness warns us when something goes wrong so that we can solve it and therefore appreciate happiness more. This emotion shows us the need to stop and seek refuge in ourselves and/or in other people. Learning to maintain a healthy relationship with sadness is essential. It allows us the chance to release or rejuvenate something.
Joy:
Did you know joy is the most dangerous emotion? I am not talking about the emotion itself, but because of the relationship we maintain with it. The way we behave in relation to it is crucial. Happiness may become dangerous if you force it. Celebrate your joy and let it go… It’s better if this feeling arises naturally. Emotions need to flow freely. This emotion facilitates the affective bond with the people around us and helps to release tension. Joy acts as a protective factor against nervousness and is necessary for survival. It provides hope, gaiety, energy, motivation and appreciation. Joy gifts us delight, hope, playfulness and wonder.
Anger:
Anger comes to set boundaries because something needs to be restored or protected. If you try to repress this emotion, you won’t be able to do it. You can feel anger when you notice injustice or cruelty. Anger brings us the opportunity to protect ourselves and others, establish boundaries, maintain our conviction, as well as have a healthy detachment.
Fear:
Fear warns us of a possible danger or risk, preparing the body for flight. Fear is necessary; we cannot live without it because it’s an alarm about dangerous situations. This emotion brings us focus, intuition and clarity. It comes to ask us what action should be taken. It includes worries, anxiety and trauma. Fear helps us focus on ourselves and identify what we need. It’s our protective mechanism.
