What makes us feel emotions

It might be red, or green, and your brain might even simulate the touch of the smooth surface against your hand. Figure 3. Your brain then compares the simulation with the real-world situation coming in via sensory input. If there is a mismatch, either the concept is changed, or the sensory input see the snake-example below this picture is a screenshot from a video created by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, hmhco.

In this case, there might be a snake nearby in the bushes. Your brain starts to simulate the sights and sounds of a snake and prepares your body for action, i. To this aim, your heart rate goes up, you start breathing more deeply, and you start to feel agitated. There are three possible outcomes of this situation.

A snake slithers out from underneath the bushes, and you make a run for it. The second possible outcome is that there is no snake, and it was just the wind. In this case, your brain corrects it prediction a snake in the bushes , your body calms down again, and you make sense of your agitated feeling in some other way.

The third less likely but still possible outcome is that there actually is no snake but you still see one. To sum it all up, according to Lisa Barrett our brain continuously produces predictions and simulations, and so we experience a world of our own creation held in check by our sensory world. Stay tuned for a series of blogs that will address the question: How to measure emotions. Hwang H, Matsumoto D. Functions of emotions. Noba Textbook Series: Psychology.

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I Accept Show Purposes. Where Do Emotions Come From? The Three Components of Emotion In order to truly understand emotions, it is important to understand the three critical components of an emotion. Emotions Can Motivate You to Act. Emotions Help You Avoid Danger. Emotions Allow You to Understand Others.

Frequently Asked Questions Which part of the brain processes emotions? Why are emotions an important part of decision-making? What is the appraisal theory of emotion? Overview of the 6 Major Theories of Emotion. Extrinsic vs. Intrinsic Motivation: What's the Difference? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

After we have emotional reactions, we usually also want to understand them. Have you ever been unsure about what emotion you were feeling? Sometimes our feelings can be confusing, and it can take effort to understand them. One reason for this is that the same type of emotion can sometimes feel different in different situations.

For example, feeling afraid to give a speech in front of your class can feel different than feeling afraid of a lion. Another reason that feelings can be confusing is that different types of emotions can sometimes feel similar. For example, both anger and fear can make you shaky and make your heart beat faster. So when you notice you are having an emotional reaction, you still have to figure out which emotion it is [ 3 ].

For example, you might notice that your heart is racing, that there is a lion in front of you, and that you have a strong desire to run away. Scientists have found that some people find it more difficult than others to figure out what emotion they are feeling.

People who have trouble understanding their emotions also have more trouble making themselves feel better. It is important to pay attention to your emotions and to practice figuring out what you are feeling. This will help you to solve problems and to feel better faster when you are feeling bad.

One good reason to understand emotions is that it can help you figure out the best way to respond to them. To figure out how to respond, it is important to first decide if your emotions match the current situation. Emotional reactions can be helpful when they happen in the right situations.

For example, if you feel scared of a snake, your emotion of fear will help you stay away from snakes and avoid getting bitten. Or, if you get angry when someone does something mean to you, your anger can let that person know not to be mean anymore. Or, if your family and friends notice that you are sad after a friend moves away, your sadness can help them see that you need their love and support. However, sometimes these same emotions can be unhelpful if they happen in the wrong situations.

For example, if you get angry with a friend because he hurt you by accident, then this might just make your friendship worse.

Or, if you are so scared of taking a test that you stay home from school, then this might stop you from getting a good grade in that class. Or, if you are sad for too long after a friend moves away, then this might make it harder for you to make new friends.

Some emotions feel positive — like feeling happy, loving, confident, inspired, cheerful, interested, grateful, or included. Other emotions can seem more negative — like feeling angry, resentful, afraid, ashamed, guilty, sad, or worried.

Both positive and negative emotions are normal. All emotions tell us something about ourselves and our situation. But sometimes we find it hard to accept what we feel. We might judge ourselves for feeling a certain way, like if we feel jealous, for example.

But instead of thinking we shouldn't feel that way, it's better to notice how we actually feel. Avoiding negative feelings or pretending we don't feel the way we do can backfire. It's harder to move past difficult feelings and allow them to fade if we don't face them and try to understand why we feel that way. You don't have to dwell on your emotions or constantly talk about how you feel. Emotional awareness simply means recognizing, respecting, and accepting your feelings as they happen.

Emotional awareness helps us know and accept ourselves. So how can you become more aware of your emotions? Start with these three simple steps:.

Just like anything else in life, when it comes to emotions, practice makes perfect!