negative & positive emotions?

❓Do you think emotions are either Positive/ Negative

Read this list:

anger
sadness
guilt
shame
disgust
joy
love
curiosity
excitement

I am sure most of the people reading this will consider the 4 last as positive & the rest negative.

But why?

We tend to judge an emotion as "negative" or "bad" because it feels unpleasant, uncomfortable in our body.

However, just because some sensations and urges are uncomfortable does not mean they are "bad" for us.

"bad" is just a thought, a judgment made by our "thinking self"

Check out the emotion wheel and try to identify which emotion are you currently feeling. ​

We create  and believe different stories about emotions, it depends on our upbringing.

✳️Some examples could be:

A family that suppresses "bad" emotions & just allows to express "good" emotions.

A family that believes guilt means "weak", may consider guilt as "bad".

A family who believes "getting anger out of your chest" is "good", may see expressing anger as "positive".

If a child is frightened by their parent's anger, may think of anger as "bad" & something that must be avoided.

A family that did not openly express love & affection, may consider love as a "bad" & unpleasant feeling.

It is useful to spend some time thinking about our childhood experiences. This can give us insight into how and why we struggle with certain feelings.

🧐Try to think about:

▪️What were you told about the best way to handle your emotions?

▪️What emotions did you family express freely?

▪️What emotions did your family suppress?

▪️How did the adults in your family manage their own "negative" emotions?

▪️How did the adults in your family react to your "negative" emotions

As a result, what ideas are you still carrying around today about your emotions and how to handle them?

​Check more in this post.