Explore your emotions: Emotional Awareness

Emotional Wellness Month: Emotional Awareness

This month, our Community celebrates Emotional Wellness Month.

A first step towards “Emotional Wellness” is “Emotional Awareness”, which is knowing consciously what we are feeling from moment to moment.

Emotional Awareness has two main benefits:

A. On one hand, emotions need to be recognized and acknowledged. They claim to be seen and expressed. Denial and repression of emotions lead to negative psychological, physical, and social effects.

They won’t disappear, but express themselves in some unhealthy way. We might increasingly “feel awful” without knowing why. Like a wound that is neglected, they will get worse with time.

They might worsen conditions as depression and anxiety. Hurt valuable relations by dumping them on others. Or promote stress-related diseases and exhaustion. Repressing emotions is stressful, mentally demanding, and energy-depleting.

The need for Emotional Awareness was recognized since the Greeks 500 BC, which promoted the expression or “Catharsis” of emotions through theatre and celebrations, to more recent thinkers like Sigmund Freud, whose “Psychoanalysis” has as one of its main goals unearthing repressed emotions that lie deep in the mind, and bringing them to the surface, to consciousness.

Closer to home, in 7 Cups, this concept is central to the book “7 Cups for the Searching Soul” (get it HERE), and is frequently reminded to our Community by one of its wisest and most active members, @Sunisshiningandsoareyou who always stresses the need to give emotions “a space to be”, and “to be heard and seen”.

Emotional Awareness is also one of the main goals of Active Listening, the main emotional support practice promoted in 7 Cups.

Summing up, being aware of our emotions is healing in itself.

B. A second benefit of consciously identifying our emotions is the possibility of understanding, validating and channeling each of them, in a healthy and healing way.

Thoughts like “I feel awful” or “I am a mess” don’t lead us very far. We need to identify specific emotions we can do something about.

For example, after a serious breakup, we might feel “bad” in general. This “feeling bad” might be composed of a host of emotions. Angry at our ex-partner. Sad about the loss of the relationship. Scared of our emotional future. Ashamed in front of others, because we think we failed. Even worthless because we measure our value by the esteem of others, and the rejection seems to point to a lack of worth.

After doing this analysis, we know better what is happening to us, which is reassuring in itself. Even if we continue to feel “bad”.

We can acknowledge each of these emotions as valid on its own terms.

And deal with each one by expressing and channeling it in its specific proper way, further understanding them, challenging assumptions about what happened, our worth and our future, getting a more balanced and realistic perspective, and eventually letting go of things that we already lost, or aren’t useful anymore to our wellbeing.

Emotional awareness is a skill that can be practiced and improved.

For example, we can improve our emotional vocabulary, specific words to identify our emotions, and put names on each of them.

Most of us have a limited emotional vocabulary. Incorporating and employing more specific words allows us to be more precise and effective in identifying our emotions. Going beyond “I am a mess”, or “I feel awful”.

This is important because emotions have different qualities and degrees of intensity, and each one has a meaning, a reason, and a proper way of channeling them. We will discuss them in a future post.

What about positive emotions?

Those should be identified, nurtured and promoted as much as possible.

Even when our general mood is down, we can find positive emotions and focus on them. We might recall good memories from a past relationship. We might enjoy some music, even sad music, in those moments. We might feel the warmth of friends and family. The beauty of a nice day. The fun of a comedy film. The fulfillment and satisfaction at the completion of a project.

We must focus on these positive emotions, stop for a while, fill ourselves with that feeling, and savor them.

There might be periods of time when you feel content and satisfied. Be fully aware while they last.

An Emotional Vocabulary

There are many classifications of emotions. I share with you the one proposed by Karla McLaren in “The Language of Emotions”.

These are grouped as varieties of six main emotions: Happiness, Anger, Fear, Shame, Jealousy/Envy, and Depression, Each group comes in three varieties of intensity: “soft”, “ medium intensity” and “intense”

HAPPINESS

Soft Happiness: Amused ~ Calm ~ Encouraged ~ Friendly ~ Hopeful ~ Inspired ~ Jovial ~ Open ~ Peaceful ~ Smiling ~ Upbeat

Medium Happiness: Cheerful ~ Contented ~ Delighted ~ Excited ~ Fulfilled ~ Glad ~ Gleeful ~ Gratified ~ Happy ~ Healthy Self-esteem ~ Joyful ~ Lively ~ Merry ~ Optimistic ~ Playful ~ Pleased ~ Proud ~ Rejuvenated ~ Satisfied

Intense Happiness: Awe-filled ~ Blissful ~ Ecstatic ~ Elated ~ Enthralled ~ Euphoric ~ Exhilarated ~ Giddy ~ Jubilant ~ Overjoyed ~ Radiant ~ Rapturous ~ Thrilled

ANGER

Soft Anger: Annoyed ~ Apathetic ~ Bored ~ Cold ~ Crabby ~ Cranky ~ Critical ~ Detached ~ Displeased ~ Frustrated ~ Impatient ~ Indifferent ~ Irritated ~ Peeved ~ Rankled

Medium Anger: Affronted ~ Aggravated ~ Angry ~ Antagonized ~ Arrogant ~ Bristling ~ Exasperated ~ Incensed ~ Indignant ~ Inflamed ~ Mad ~ Offended ~ Resentful ~ Riled up ~ Sarcastic

Intense Anger: Aggressive ~ Appalled ~ Belligerent ~ Bitter ~ Contemptuous ~ Disgusted ~ Furious ~ Hateful ~ Hostile ~ Irate ~ Livid ~ Menacing ~ Outraged ~ Ranting ~ Raving ~ Seething ~ Spiteful ~ Vengeful ~ Vicious ~ Vindictive ~ Violent

FEAR

Soft Fear: Alert ~ Apprehensive ~ Cautious ~ Concerned ~ Confused ~ Curious ~ Disconcerted ~ Disoriented ~ Disquieted ~ Doubtful ~ Edgy ~ Fidgety ~ Hesitant ~ Indecisive ~ Insecure ~ Leery ~ Pensive ~ Shy ~ Timid ~ Uneasy ~ Watchful.

Medium Fear: Afraid ~ Alarmed ~ Anxious ~ Aversive ~ Distrustful ~ Fearful ~ Jumpy ~ Nervous ~ Perturbed ~ Rattled ~ Shaky ~ Startled ~ Suspicious ~ Unnerved ~ Unsettled ~ Wary ~ Worried

Intense Fear: Horrified ~ Panicked ~ Paralyzed ~ Petrified ~ Filled with Dread ~ Phobic ~ Shocked ~ Terrorized

SHAME

Soft Shame: Awkward ~ Abashed ~ Self-conscious ~ Withdrawn ~ Reticent ~ Discomfited ~ Flushed ~ Flustered ~ Hesitant ~ Humble ~ Speechless

Medium Shame: Ashamed ~ Chagrined ~ Contrite ~ Culpable ~ Embarrassed ~ Guilty ~ Humbled ~ Intimidated ~ Penitent ~ Regretful ~ Remorseful ~ Reproachful ~ Rueful ~ Sheepish

Intense Shame: Belittled ~ Degraded ~ Demeaned ~ Disgraced ~ Guilt-ridden ~ Guilt-stricken ~ Humiliated ~ Mortified ~ Ostracized ~ Self-condemning ~ Self-flagellating ~ Shamefaced ~ Stigmatized

SADNESS

Soft Sadness: Contemplative ~ Disappointed ~ Disconnected ~ Distracted ~ Listless ~ Low ~ Regretful ~ Wistful

Medium Sadness: Dejected ~ Discouraged ~ Dispirited ~ Down ~ Downtrodden ~ Drained ~ Forlorn ~ Gloomy ~ Grieving ~ Heavy-hearted ~ Melancholy ~ Mournful ~ Sad ~ Sorrowful ~ Weepy ~ World- weary

Intense Sadness: Anguished ~ Bereaved ~ Bleak ~ Depressed ~ Despairing ~ Despondent ~ Grief-stricken ~ Heartbroken ~ Hopeless ~ Inconsolable

DEPRESSION

Soft Depression: Apathetic ~ Discouraged ~ Disinterested ~ Dispirited ~ Feeling Worthless ~ Flat ~ Helpless ~ Humorless ~ Indifferent ~ Isolated ~ Lethargic ~ Listless ~ Melancholy ~ Pessimistic ~ Purposeless ~ Withdrawn ~ World-weary

Medium Depression: Bereft ~ Crushed ~ Desolate ~ Despairing ~ Desperate ~ Drained ~ Empty ~ Fatalistic ~ Hopeless ~ Joyless ~ Miserable ~ Morbid ~ Overwhelmed ~ Passionless ~ Pleasureless ~ Sullen

Intense Depression: Agonized ~ Anguished ~ Bleak ~ Devastated ~ Doomed ~ Gutted ~ Nihilistic ~ Numbed ~ Reckless ~ Self-destructive ~ Tormented

JEALOUSY & ENVY

Soft Jealousy & Envy: Disbelieving ~ Distrustful ~ Insecure ~ Suspicious ~ Vulnerable

Medium Jealousy & Envy: Covetous ~ Demanding ~ Desirous ~ Envious ~ Jealous ~ Threatened

Intense Jealousy & Envy: Avaricious ~ Gluttonous ~ Grasping ~ Greedy ~ Green with Envy ~ Persistently Jealous ~ Possessive ~ Resentful

How to practice Emotional Awareness

Introspection and mindfulness

Take time alone and undistracted to look inside yourself. Ask yourself, what have you been feeling lately? Check your breathing pattern. Is it fast or slow? Shallow or deep? Connect with your body. Many emotions manifest themselves in muscle tension, in the belly, chest, throat, head… Use your expanded Emotional Vocabulary and try to identify as many emotions as possible, with the best precision you can. Then continue with…

Writing down your thoughts, and Journaling

Take a pen and a paper or notebook, sit down, and “download” your thoughts and feelings, writing them down as they come to your mind. Writing about your emotions, and then reading what you have written, is the ultimate practice for emotional awareness.

This can take the form of a “personal notebook” where you write at any moment when you wish to express your feelings, or a “Journal”, where you take some time every day to write down the highlights of the day, how you felt about them, and the emotions you had during that day that might be independent of any event.

I encourage you to take the “Journaling for Mental Health” 7 Cups’ Path, carefully prepared by @Helpingheart23 It will guide you through the practice of Journaling, and encourage you to adopt this habit, the most powerful tool for developing Emotional Awareness.

You will find the “Journaling for Mental Health” Path by clicking here: https://www.7cups.com/path/playlist/journaling-for-mental-health/

Drawing: You can complement your writing with some drawings of your emotions and thoughts.

Labeling thoughts

During the day, pay attention to your current emotions and thoughts, and “label” them with “emotion words” such as “annoyed”, “concerned”, “frustrated”, “peaceful” “satisfied”, etc. Try to find patterns and connections with external events and internal thoughts. This register of emotions as they arise will be useful for your practice of Journaling

Art

If you are so inclined, painting, singing, and other art forms are powerful ways to explore and express your emotions.

Drama classes

Practicing theatre acting is a very potent way of exploring and expressing emotions. To elicit emotions in a play, you first have to find that genuine emotion in yourself. And express it powerfully. If you wish to explore your emotions to the fullest, this is a great way.

Talk about your emotions to someone you trust.

A friend or family member you trust, your therapist, or 7 Cups Listener, can help you identify, express, and validate your emotions.

Challenge:

During the current week, be aware of your emotions during the day, and take a moment every evening to write them down.

Post your comments about this experience in this thread.

This post is part of the “Emotional Wellness Month” Event by the Depression Support Subcommunity. Visit the Masterpost by clicking HERE

To receive notifications from our SubCommunity, press HERE

Learn HERE how to join the Depression Support team. We welcome you with open arms!

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