Behind the Scene of Emotions
By: Megan Muñoz IMH
What
comes to mind when you think about emotions? Does the subject make you curious,
uncomfortable, or excited? Thinking about emotions may make you reflect back to
the last time you had a strong emotional response, or it may take you back to
the way emotions were handled in your family when you were growing up. Whatever
your first reaction, it will be significant as we attempt to understand the
complexities of how our internal world is constructed by emotions. In talking
about emotions, you may think about categorical ones such as anger, fear,
sadness, or joy. You may even begin to feel one of these emotions. One response
we rarely pay attention to is the response of our body on a physiological level
to the topic of emotions. In fact, most of us do not tend to pay attention to
what we are feeling at all, let alone notice how our bodies are responding as
we go about our day. Learning to listen and pay attention to what is happening
on an emotional as well as a physiological level inside of us is extremely
important to gaining a clear picture of our emotions and what they are trying
to communicate.
Emotions
are more than feelings. They are more than thoughts. In fact, emotions are the
energy by which our brain and body respond to our environment and make meaning
of our experiences. The better we learn to pay attention to our emotions, where
they came from, and what they are trying to communicate, the better we will be
able to choose how we will respond to situations in our everyday life. When
talking about emotions, I have found it helpful to use the workings of a smoke
detector as an analogy. How does a smoke detector work? Most homes are equipped
with several detectors strategically placed around the doors, kitchen, and
living spaces and are programmed to give off an ear-piercing sound when their
sensors pick up a whiff of smoke. A smoke detector’s job is to sense fire in
the house and notify the occupants of the threat. In the same way, our brains
and bodies are programed by our past experiences to bring our attention to
something that is happening around us. This is the beginning of an emotion - the
moment our brain and body become aware of change in our environment. But as
with a fire detector, we need to pay attention to what is causing our internal
physiological alarm to sound. Sometimes, a fire detector goes off when birthday
candles are lit in the living room and other times it goes off when toast is
burning in the kitchen. These events may not cause major damage if ignored. But
sometimes the smoke detector sounds because the whole bedroom
is on fire.
The
sound of our internal indicators is only the beginning of our emotional
process. As with a pre-programmed smoke detector, the initial warning inside of
us happens before we are consciously aware of it. Our stomach begins to hurt,
or maybe we feel pressure in our chest and our heart rate goes up. These
responses and many more are how our bodies are programmed to respond- even
before we are aware of them. When we become conscious of these sensations, our
interpretation of them falls into an emotional category such as anger, fear,
joy, or sadness.
However, many of us respond
to emotions by doing the internal equivalent of taking the batteries out of the
smoke detector. We get tired of hearing the beeping and don’t know what to do
about it, so we find ways to silence the warning signals. When we do this, we
not only lose the ability to become aware of serious problems (like our bedroom
on fire), but we also lose the capacity to experience more positive emotions
like joy and happiness (as with the birthday candles).
So next time your internal
smoke detector makes a sound, pay attention and be curious. Your body and brain
have something to teach you.
To schedule an appointment with Megan Muñoz, please call our
office at 407-647-7005 or visit our website at www.lifeworksgroup.org.
