Why Controlling Your Emotions Is Important & Why You Should Make Time For It

Why controlling your emotions is important and why you should make time for it

Do you know those days when you feel like everything is going wrong? When it feels like all your plans have gone to pieces and the whole world is conspiring against you?

Well, I’ve got a theory- maybe they are. Maybe this feeling of being sabotaged by the outside world is actually just your brain's way of telling you that something needs to change. And if we don't pay attention, that uneasy sensation can grow into more serious problems.

It’s no secret that emotions can have a major impact on our lives. Our emotional state impacts how we feel and act, as well as the quality of life we experience. For example, people who are happy tend to be in better physical health than those who are depressed or anxious. If you're wondering why controlling your emotions is important and why it's worth making time for it, this article will give you some insight into the importance of managing our emotional states so that they don't negatively impact us or those around us.

We'll start by looking at how emotion affects our bodies- from head to toe! We'll also explore what happens when we get angry versus when we get sad- both emotionally and physically speaking. Finally, we'll discuss what happens when our emotions are out of control and how to stop feeling like life is out to get us.

The Importance of Emotions

Emotions can have a major impact on our lives. Our emotional state impacts how we feel, act, as well as the quality of life we experience. For example, people who are happy tend to be in better physical health than those who are depressed or anxious.

The importance of emotions cannot be understated. They are the building blocks of our lives. If you are not in a good mood, you're probably feeling pessimistic and unmotivated, which not only impacts your mood but also your quality of life. That is why it is important to try and maintain emotional control in order to achieve goals in life.

There are many techniques that will help you do so- for example, when feeling a strong negative emotion coming on, try thinking about something positive like your favorite place or moment and then imagine what you'll be feeling after achieving your goal. This might seem silly at first but trust me, it works!

How Emotions Affect Us Physically

Agitation is the strong feeling of wanting to move or act wildly; a state of mental excitement. Our negative emotions cause physical reactions in our bodies that may be harmful. These reactions can have an effect on our psychological state of being as well as how others view us. This article is going to discuss some physical reactions that happen when we experience negative emotions and how to control them so they don't affect us physically.

Our bodies respond physically to our emotions and this response is what we become familiar with as humans. I am sure that most of you have had the experience of being angry, fearful, or sad before and felt a certain physical reaction - an increased heart rate, sweaty palms, tightness in your chest or shoulders (for example). Our bodies are hardwired to respond in certain ways to help us survive. When it comes to negative emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, and grief these reactions can be helpful for short periods of time but if they persist over a long period, they can harm our health. Some common physical reactions are:

Shortness of breath

A racing heartbeat/ palpitations

Changes in blood pressure

Tension in the muscles

Sweating/ shaking hands and/ or feet

Feeling 'keyed up' and on edge

Self-destructive thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, or fear that is difficult to control. 

We also experience physical reactions when we have feelings of strong positive emotions. These positive emotions are often associated with a 'rush' of euphoria and increased heart rate, muscle relaxation, and warmth.

The ability to identify our emotions and manage them allows us to regulate how we feel physically as well as psychologically. In order to achieve this, we need to understand these physical reactions so that we can better control them. 

When We Get Angry Versus When We Get Sad- What Happens, and Why It Matters

When we get sad, we experience a decrease in physical arousal. This might include feeling relaxed, calm, and less energetic than usual. Whether or not you are able to completely shut down your emotions is still up for debate, but it is generally believed that the physiological responses become much less intense when experiencing sadness. Some of this might also have to do with the fact that there is no fear response indicating danger which would otherwise be associated with anger or anxiety. The nervous system in our bodies triggers these reactions as a way to help us handle stress and any other potentially dangerous situation.

When we get angry, on the other hand, we experience an increase in physical arousal- including increased heart rate and breathing speed, muscle tension, a flushed face, and hot palms.

Sadness is generally associated with feelings of loss or helplessness. Our bodies are programmed to relax because there is usually no danger (except in cases where sadness arises from grief). When we feel fear our bodies react similarly; however, the emotion stemming from anger may be part of a response to protect oneself from harm. This increase in arousal prepares us to handle the physical threats that might come along with being angry. Anger can also stem from feelings of frustration as well as disappointment, which include negative thoughts about ourselves or others. While this is not necessarily dangerous physically, it does affect how we think about ourselves and reacts toward other people. 

How to Control Our Emotions and Stop Feeling Like Life is Out To Get Us

There are a number of ways to help you control your emotions and stop feeling like life is out to get you. One way is to do some journaling. Sometimes it's hard to know why we're feeling the way we are, but by looking back on what has happened during the day or week- through journaling- we might be able to figure out what's going on. Another technique is mindfulness meditation. When stressed or emotional, one can easily feel like they are disconnected from their senses and surroundings. A few minutes of mindfulness meditation can clear your head, calm down anxiety, and offer you a sense of peace that can last for days.

Another thing you can do is learn how to "ride the wave" of emotions that can come with being angry, anxious, or sad. It is completely normal to experience strong and sudden emotions; especially when feeling frustrated. Instead of allowing ourselves to get carried away by these feelings, try to imagine them like waves in the ocean. They can grow and even crash down on you- but they are nothing more than an emotion that passes through you, and just like any other wave on the ocean, it will eventually end.

To get started with this technique, take several deep breaths. Deep breathing helps to calm down your nervous system which is what triggers all of these physical symptoms that we can interpret as negative emotions. You can then simply remember how you felt when dealing with a wave in the past. 

Next, picture a wave that you have felt before and try to recall the situation. Close your eyes and imagine how it felt to be hit by that wave initially- and even how it feels now as it washes away from you. 

This can help you to understand that dealing with sudden blows of emotion is completely normal and something experienced by everyone at one point in their lives. As these emotions pass through us, our nervous system calms down- just like the water does after a wave passes on the beach. 

The tips that we have talked about in this article are just the tip of the iceberg. There are many other techniques that we can use to help us with our thoughts and emotions. Remember, those waves that crash down on you- they don't last forever. Always try to take a deep breath before confronting them and think of all the benefits you will feel afterward.

We all experience emotions- some more than others. Some people are able to control their feelings, while for others it can be a challenge. Understanding how our brains work and reacting accordingly is an important component of living well in today's world. For example, if we understand that anger or sadness affects the body differently physiologically speaking, then we may not feel like life is out to get us when these feelings arise in the moment. This article has offered great insight on understanding emotions and managing them so you can live your best life possible! What questions do you still have about this topic? Want help with controlling your own emotional response? Let me know below! I'm here to answer any question you might have about this blog post...and if I don't know the answer, I can help you find it.