Vice.com: Why Do We Feel Sadness More Strongly Than Joy?

“Everyone experiences life differently, but if negativity just sticks with you more, you're not alone. As humans, we’re programmed to experience negative emotions more intensely than positive ones. In psychology, this is known as a negativity bias; a tendency of our brains to register negative events or feelings more strongly than happy memories.

This definitively rings true to my own experiences. I remember particularly nice days, obviously, but when I think of life-changing moments, it's always the worst experiences that come to mind first. I still sometimes think about my very first breakup, even though it happened years ago. Of course, it’s totally OK to hold on to bad memories – but why do they stick with us so much more than good ones? Is sorrow just a stronger emotion than joy?

From a social perspective, we try to avoid negativity at all costs. Grief and pain are more threatening to us than good feelings. Joy is less likely to represent danger, which is why we are less likely to deal with it emotionally. Many people haven’t learned to celebrate joy.

Mareile Poettering is a therapist and mental coach who specialises in psychosomatic illnesses, which are physical conditions caused by mental health issues. She has a tonne of experience dealing with patients’ trauma, negative emotions, and the way they manifest in the body. In her experience, she noted that everyone experiences emotions in a different way but many people do feel difficult emotions more strongly than positive ones.

Processing a negative emotion like heartbreak can take quite a bit of work. On the contrary, if we had a particularly good day, we don't stay up at night thinking about it. However, if we practiced holding positive emotions within us, we would perceive joy much more intensely. On the other hand, we simply cannot overcome difficult emotions passively–if we don't deal with them, they remain with us and show their effects on our bodies. They can even develop into mental illness.

Difficult feelings are necessary for life; that's why Mareile Poettering doesn't call them negative or bad. Without them, we can't feel beautiful emotions either. They have so much potential, it's just important to be able to deal with them. We can repress them, but only into some sort of inner basement. There, these repressed emotions continue to rage. This is exactly what leads to psychosomatic effects in the form of illnesses.“

Read the complete article here.

💬 How do you deal with negative emotions in your life?

💬 Was there a time in your life when you struggled, but changed and ultimately found more joy in life as a result?

#Joy #Sadness #Health #Emotions