What is meant by emotions 

Emotions are the feelings we experience in response to different situations, thoughts, or events. They can be positive, like happiness and excitement, or negative, like sadness and frustration. Emotions influence how we think, behave, and interact with others.

Some key aspects of emotions include:

• Physical sensations: A racing heartbeat when nervous, a warm feeling when happy.
• Thoughts and reactions: Feeling frustrated when something doesn’t go as planned or feeling proud after achieving something.
• Short-term and long-term effects: Some emotions last only moments, while others, like grief or contentment, can last much longer.

For example, if you receive a compliment, you may feel happy, leading to increased confidence and motivation. On the other hand, if something unexpected happens, you might feel uncertain or anxious.

Why identifying emotions is helpful 

Being able to identify your emotions can be helpful for lots of reasons, including that it:

• Helps you understand yourself: Knowing what you feel makes it easier to understand why you feel that way.
• Makes it easier to talk to others: When you can name your emotions, you can explain them better to people and get help if you need to.
• Helps you manage your feelings: Recognising emotions allows you to calm down, find solutions, or ask for help.
• Stops emotions from becoming overwhelming: Naming feelings can make them feel easier to handle.

Helps with decision-making: Understanding emotions can guide you to make better choices.

How to identify and name emotions  

Lots of different things cause our emotions, and here are some examples of emotions that we might feel (of course, there are many more):

Recognising emotions takes practice. By paying attention to physical sensations, thoughts, and behaviours, you can learn to identify what you are feeling.

Ways to recognise and name emotions include:

• Noticing physical signs: A tense body might indicate stress, while feeling light and energetic could mean excitement.
• Identifying thoughts: If you keep thinking about a mistake, you might be feeling regret. If you are focusing on possibilities, you may feel hopeful.
• Observing behaviours: Avoiding a situation could indicate fear, while smiling and speaking enthusiastically might mean happiness.
• Using emotion words: Expanding your emotional vocabulary beyond just ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ helps with better understanding yourself (for example, ‘frustrated,’ ‘grateful,’ ‘overwhelmed’).

Understanding emotions is a key step in managing them, making thoughtful decisions, and improving overall wellbeing.