Exploring the Complexity of Emotional Reactions

Our bodies respond to experience. We have emotional reactions. Our systems jump or retreat as we collide with life. Our minds and bodies are intertwined in creating these affective movements. Complex processes build a more concrete feeling experience—emotion. We perceive hazards with feelings that we quickly translate into fear or disgust; conversely, we respond to opportunities with feelings that become peace and joy.

These landing spots of emotion aren’t perfect. We draw upon memories (learning from encounters) to interpret the present, comparing the painful and joyful events of the past with elements in the present. When familiarity with abuse combines with the present, experience is received with more suspicion than someone raised in safety.

Basics of Emotional Responses

A basic function of biological systems is to respond to environments. This is not only adaptive but it is also necessary for survival. We interact with our environments through our senses. Observed events arouse our systems, we react by focusing attention on dangers and opportunities and we respond.

Daniel Goleman explains the process of a visual stimulus this way:

A visual signal first goes from the retina to the thalamus, where it is translated into the language of the brain. Most of the message then goes to the visual cortex, where it is analyzed and assessed for meaning and appropriate response; if that response is emotional, a signal goes to the amygdala to activate the emotional centers. But a smaller portion of the original signal goes straight from the thalamus to the amygdala in a quicker transmission, allowing a faster (though less precise) response. Thus the amygdala can trigger an emotional response before the cortical centers have fully understood what is happening (Goleman, 2005).

This occurs in the first few milliseconds of the original stimuli. We have a feeling response before our cortex can even translate what we saw into words. Accordingly, our eventual translation will be swayed by the feeling effects flowing through our bodies.

Unconscious Reactions

When significant events stir heightened emotions, the body responds quickly, often before the cortex is online. Antonio Damasio wrote, “By itself, the emotional response can accomplish some useful goals: speedy concealment from a predator, for instance, or display of anger toward a competitor. The process does not stop with the bodily changes that define an emotion, however. The cycle continues, certainly in humans, and its next step is the feeling of the emotion in connection to the object that excited it, the realization of the nexus between object and emotional body state” (Damasio, 2005).

In most situations, the protective reaction or the decision to leap at an opportunity is not something that occurs immediately without the opportunity to mull over the facts. The emotional reaction simply tags an event as important enough to commandeer our attention. With discernment, we can perform risk/reward calculations and choose an action that seems best.

Goleman wrote, “For animals, when to attack, when to run. And for we humans…when to attack, when to run—and also, when to placate, persuade, seek sympathy, stonewall, provoke guilt, whine, put on a facade of bravado, be contemptuous—and so on, through the whole repertoire of emotional wiles” (Goleman, 2005).

Misperceptions of Emotional Reactions

​Frightening perceptions can be drawn from benign gestures. The experience, magnified by emotion, may signal danger where no danger exists. Because perceptions don’t mirror reality—only initiated by reality—our emotions are subject to miscues, requiring intervention, occasionally suppressing impulses that motivate unhealthy and future-destroying reactions.

Damasio explains, “This prefrontal response comes from dispositional representations that embody knowledge pertaining to how certain types of situations usually have been paired with certain emotional responses, in your individual experience. In other words, it comes from acquired rather than innate dispositional representations…” (Damasio, 2005).

See Emotional Patterns for more on this topic

The Impact of Relationships on Emotions

Emotions are especially poignant in relationships. The bonds of connections magnify joys and sorrows. Our fears of abandonment or rejection reach a fevered pitch, overriding normal sensibilities. We react with extremes, blind sometimes and overly sensitive. The frightened child living in our bosom fails to follow the nuances of connection. The slightest brush with conflict and our pulse rate skyrockets, and vision narrows. The feeling affect of something serious demands cognitive explanation. Our bodies scream danger and our minds haphazardly evaluates the facts.

Goleman refers to this as emotional hijacking. He explains:

“Emotional hijackings presumably involve two dynamics: triggering of the amygdala and a failure to activate the neocortical processes that usually keep emotional response in balance—or a recruitment of the neocortical zones to the emotional urgency” (Goleman, 2005).

See Emotional Hijacking for more on this topic

Emotional Regulation

In order to enjoy connection and respond appropriately to environmental cures, we must learn to regulate emotions that are out of line with our fundamental goals. This is a task of a lifetime. However, if trauma and painful events have littered our pasts, setting in motion unhelpful patterns of emotions, we must intervene, rescuing our bodies and minds from these automatic loops of terror. We must manage experience early and often to alleviate these magnified bounces common to protective reactions. Otherwise, our attempts for growth and love will always be frayed with unpredictable emotional reactions.

Healthy futures demand more than blind obedience to impulses; we must delay the automatic responses, deferring impulses for a moment so we can implement action that has greater potential to achieve a better ending. We must assume responsibility for final outcomes. But logic alone fails; we can’t live completely cerebrally, for living is a feeling experience.

Emotional regulation requires skill and practice. We must slow life down and familiarize ourselves with our patterns of responses. Goleman warns, “If a more productive emotional response is unfamiliar or not well practiced, it is extremely difficult to try it while upset” (Goleman, 2005).

We think and feel; therefore, we are.

Possible Tools and Techniques for Managing Emotional Reactions

Regulating emotions is an important skill for maintaining mental well-being and navigating life’s challenges. Here are some common tools and techniques that can help:

Mindfulness and Meditation

• Mindfulness: Practicing mindfulness involves paying attention to the present moment without judgment. This can help you become more aware of your emotions and reduce stress.
• Meditation: Regular meditation can help calm the mind and improve emotional regulation by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety (Guy-Evans, 2023).

Cognitive Behavioral Techniques

• Cognitive Reappraisal: This involves changing the way you think about a situation to alter its emotional impact. For example, viewing a challenging situation as a learning opportunity rather than a threat.
• Positive Self-Talk: Encouraging yourself with positive affirmations can help shift your mindset and reduce negative emotions (Chowdhury, 2019).

See Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for more on these techniques

Physical Activities

• Exercise: Physical activity can boost your mood and reduce stress by releasing endorphins.
• Breathing Exercises: Techniques like deep breathing or structured breathing can help calm your nervous system and reduce emotional intensity.

Social and Environmental Strategies

• Social Support: Sharing your feelings with someone you trust can provide support and perspective.
• Connecting with Nature: Spending time outdoors can help reduce stress and improve your mood.

Self-Care Practices

• Journaling: Writing about your emotions can help you process and understand them better (Guy-Evans, 2023).
• Good Sleep Hygiene: Ensuring you get enough quality sleep can significantly impact your emotional regulation (Guy-Evans, 2023).

See Self-Care for more on this topic

Acceptance and Commitment

• Emotional Acceptance: Learning to accept your emotions without judgment can reduce their intensity and help you respond more effectively.
• Mindful Decision-Making: Being mindful about how you respond to your emotions can help you make choices that align with your values and long-term goals.

See Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for more on these techniques

---

These techniques can be tailored to fit your personal preferences and needs.

Related Concepts

• General Adaptation Syndrome (G-A-S): This concept, developed by Hans Selye, describes the body’s response to stress in three stages: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion. Selye’s work underscores the impact of stress on health and the need for effective stress management to maintain well-being.
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): This program designed to manage stress and improve well-being through mindfulness and meditation. It covers MBSR’s history, empirical support, key concepts, associated therapies, and success stories.
• Affective Disposition Theory (ADT): This theory originating from Dolf Zillmann in the 1970s, explores how emotional tendencies influence attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions to stimuli in the environment.
• Affective Neuroscience: This field pioneered by Jaak Panksepp and Joseph LeDoux in the 1990s, studies the brain’s processing of emotions. It explores primary emotional networks and their influence on behavior and cognitive processes.
• Arousal Theories: These theories in psychology explore the role of physiological arousal in motivating behavior, seeking to maintain an optimal level of alertness and activation.
• Startle Response: This refers to a natural physiological reaction to a sudden or threatening stimulus. It is characterized by a rapid, involuntary reflex that can include a combination of physical reactions such as jumping, jolting, or a quickened heart rate.
• Emotional Reactivity: This refers to the intensity and speed of emotional responses, and varies across individuals. Three primary factors, sensitivity, recovery time, and functional impairment level, influence reactivity.
• Emotional Sensitivity: This encompasses the encompasses bodily changes, empathy, and the ability to recognize and respond to emotions. It affects individuals differently, impacting behavior, relationships, and personality types.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

Emotions are what create the richness of life. We shouldn’t automatically reject them as fruitless, dismissing emotions for the coldness of logic. Emotions carry wisdom; they are key to connectedness. Emotions illuminate desires and motivate worthwhile endeavors. A healthy life requires a smooth integration of emotions and the mitigating caution of cognitions. Over-dominance of either function grossly limits experience and stymies growth.

When Emotional reaction fail to match our goals, we must attend to the emotions, discovering deeper causes that lead us astray. Perhaps, a traumatic past still haunts our present. We may accomplish this through reflections. Adele Lynn wrote, “thoughtful and purposeful reflection can produce new learning. This new learning will eventually rewire our limbic system so that our emotional reactions are more in line with our intentions” (Lynn, 2004).

Self-restraint eases the chaos of emotions. Like a muscle, self-empowerment is strengthened through use. Small choices that delay pleasure for the benefits of a better future exercises will-power. As we exercise self-discipline, we must not vilify the underlying emotions. Simple exercises of awareness refine our ability to feel experience. We integrate these two great aspects of living. Instead of mindlessly reacting or stoically disconnecting, we allow both processes to exist. Through this duel approach, we discover a more rewarding life, rich in feeling that is cautiously protected with wisdom. We feel the beautiful moments while simultaneously avoiding the dangerous future-disrupting pitfalls common to a reactionary life.

Last Update: April 17, 2025

References:

Chowdhury, Madhuleena Roy (2019) Emotional Regulation: 6 Key Skills to Regulate Emotions. Positive Psychology. Published: 8-13-2019; Retrieved: 9-17-2024. Website: https://positivepsychology.com/emotion-regulation/
(Return to Main Text)

Damasio, Antonio (2005). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Penguin Books; Reprint edition. ISBN-10: ‎014303622X
(Return to Main Text)

Goleman, Daniel (2005). Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books. ISBN-10: 055338371X
(Return to Main Text)

Guy-Evans, Olivia (2023). Emotional Regulation. Simply Psychology. Published: 12-13-2023. Accessed: 9-17-2024. Website: https://www.simplypsychology.org/emotional-regulation.html
(Return to Main Text)

Lynn, Adele (2004). The EQ Difference: A Powerful Plan for Putting Emotional Intelligence to Work. AMACOM; 1st edition. ISBN-10: 0814408443
(Return to Main Text)