Positive and Negative Emotions

People have been studying emotions for thousands of years. But what IS surprising is the lack of understanding around the necessity of both types of emotions for healthy functioning. Positive emotions are emotions that we typically find pleasurable to experience or have pleasant responses to our environment and inner dialogue.

On the other hand, negative emotions are those that we typically do not find pleasurable to experience. They can be defined as “as an unpleasant or unhappy emotion which is evoked in individuals to express a negative effect towards an event or person”. If an emotion discourages and drags you down, then it’s most likely a negative emotion.

Some common positive and negative emotions include:

Love                           Fear

Joy                             Anger

Satisfaction             Disgust

Interest                     Sadness

Amusement             Rage

Serenity                    Loneliness

Awe                          Melancholy

Happiness               Annoyance

Negative emotions are an inevitable part of life and something that we need to experience in order to have a full, rich life.

There are good reasons for each of the basic emotions, both positive and negative:

• Anger: to fight against problems

• Fear: to protect us from danger

• Anticipation: to look forward and plan

• Surprise: to focus on new situations

• Joy: to remind us what’s important

• Sadness: to connect us with those we love

• Trust: to connect with people who help

• Disgust: to reject what is unhealthy

As unpleasant as they may be, it can’t be denied that negative emotions serve important purposes in our lives. They can help us to make sense of conflicting emotional information. They can also help us make sense when we receive confusing signals. And negative emotions also reduce the experience of empathy, which can help protect us from getting too involved with others and stay focused on our goals.

I hope that this might support you in to recognize that when we are able to accept, embrace, and exploit both our positive and our negative emotions, we give ourselves the best chance to live a more harmonized life. It is just as important to understand how to turn negative emotions into a positive experience as it is to capitalize on our positive emotions.

Keep on truckin’,

Pamela

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