Emotions: A Guide to Self-Awareness
The building blocks of being a better communicator, having more confidence, strengthening connections with self and others, better physical (and emotional) health and knowing when and how to regulate moods and emotions is all about self-awareness.
Having the ability to identify emotions gives people the opportunity to explore what is happening and how it is impacting them, and they are therefore more prepared to share their emotional experience with others. This is important when setting boundaries and asking for what is needed (sometimes we just need a hug, other times we need help making sense of information or we might just need someone to know how we feel when they use certain words or a specific tone of voice).
Our access to the part of the brain we use for rational thinking and problem-solving (our prefrontal cortex) is inhibited in times of stress. Have you ever wondered why you get tongue-tied when you get nervous or when it’s difficult to speak eloquently when you’re agitated? Our sympathetic nervous system gets triggered when we experience stress and it sends our attention to our bodily functions that can help us get out of the perceived trouble. Our heart rate increases, our muscles tense, our adrenaline pumps through our veins; all allowing us to fight or flee what we think is a threat. What is helpful in times of stress is the ability to access a resource tool to help you identify your emotional experience. The feelings wheel does this well and it’s easy to keep a copy on your phone an personal computer so you have easy access to it.
If we take a look at the emotions wheel there are circles with colours and words that illustrate some of the underlying emotions that may linger under the surface. For example, anger could be linked to other emotions such as disappointment or jealousy.
The first step is identifying your experience of emotions and labeling it, the next step is learning how to articulate your observations, thoughts, ideas and needs in a concise and coherent way.
Try it out and see what you think!
