As humans, we are emotional beings and go through both positive and negative emotions. But you wonder what is a negative emotion? Negative emotions are ones that give us an unpleasant sensation or negative feelings, but that contribute to our survival and safety.
The considered basic negative emotions are sadness, disgust, fear, and anger. On the other hand, those considered secondary negative emotions are many more such as, loneliness, despair, guilt, indifference, apathy… etc.
Like all emotions, the inadequate management of them does not favor our mental health and mood, erratic reactions towards negative emotions can cause inappropriate behaviors and thoughts that turn into a negative circle until they trigger severe emotional and behavioral disturbances. Here are some suggestions for proper handling of negative emotions.
Firstly, you must learn to identify the emotion. Learning to notice and identify your emotions requires practice. In addition to focusing on your emotions, pay attention to your body. Perhaps, with some emotions, you have sensations in the body; you may feel heat in your face or tense muscles.
Be aware of how you feel. When you have a negative emotion, like anger, try to put a name to what you feel. Don’t deny what you feel. Don’t suppress what you feel. Try to find out why you feel that way. Think about what happened to make you feel this way.
Don’t look for a culprit. Being able to acknowledge and explain your emotions is not the same as blaming someone or something for the way you feel. Accept all your emotions as natural and understandable. Don’t judge yourself by the
emotions you feel. It’s normal for you to feel them.
As a second step you must carry out actions: Take measures. Think about the best way to express your emotion. Is it time to politely confront another person? Do you need to talk about your feelings with a friend? Or is it better to go for a run to unload what you feel?
Learn to change your mood which promotes positive emotions. Look for support. Talk about how you feel with your parents, a trusted adult, or a friend. They can help you analyze your emotions and give you a different point of view on
things.
Physical exercise. Physical activity helps the brain produce natural chemicals that
promote positive mood. A third step involves being aware that there are emotions that can feel out of our control and it is appropriate to seek help for them.
The assistance of a mental health professional has training and acquisition of tools that will facilitate the correct management of these emotions.
