Why do some feelings stay with us for a long time? Why do certain situations trigger particular emotions and feelings?
Emotions interpret the world for us. They have a signal function, telling us about our internal states, as they are affected by the outside world. Emotions are responses to present stimuli, as filtered through the memory of our past experiences. Emotions anticipate the future based on our perception of the past. Emotions are intense, short lived reactions to specific stimuli. They are the initial, often unconscious biological responses to stimuli. They are often raw and immediate. Examples of emotions include, anger, fear, sadness, joy and surprise. Emotions are often accompanied by physical changes in the body, like a racing heart or tense muscles
Feelings are the conscious interpretation and experience of emotions, shaped by thoughts and personal context. Feelings are subjective. Examples of feelings include feeling betrayed, disillusioned or distrustful. These feelings are experienced after being triggered by an emotion of anger, hurt or sadness. Feelings can be influenced by our cultural, personal background, and personal interpretation.
Feelings last for a period of time. Even when the situation calms down, the body still feels tense. Our mind may say everything's fine, but our body hasn’t got the memo! Our minds seek certainty, it does not like the unknown. Our body copes with feelings through, 'Fight or Flight mode’ or ‘Freeze.’ Our sympathetic nervous system gets active when we are stressed. In Fight or Flight mode, stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol flood the body. Our heart rate goes up and our breathing becomes shallow. Our muscles can stay tense. Our body learns to stay on high alert, even when the threat has passed. Feelings keep us in Fight or Flight mode for longer than our bodies can handle, causing stress. We need intentional moments to bring ourselves back to a resting stage.
Start by finding activities that help you feel safe, walking, running, or having short breaks at work. Deep breathing and breathing exercises will slow the heart rate. Spending time with friends of family can help put feelings into perspective.
When in a ‘Freeze’ state, a person can feel stuck or numb. People can find it difficult to make decisions in the workplace. They can also feel detached from a situation that may need an action plan or a solution. The Freeze state is a survival mechanism where the body and mind shut down, when Fight or Flight are not possible. Prayer or meditation my help to regulate the nervous system and re-set the mind and body to take action again.
Mindfulness, and exercises that focus on the present, can help. Deep breathing and guided imagery can calm the nervous system. Writing down your feelings can identify triggers and patterns. Exercise, sleep, balanced diet and social support, and CBT help to enable people to move on.
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Neuro refers to your neurology and linguistic refers to language, and programming refers to how that neural language functions.
See our Using NLP to communicate effectively in schools page
You will notice someone is having a Panic Attack when their breathing becomes very shallow and fast. They may also start to feel very hot or very cold.
HSPs make up 20% of the population but may make up a bigger percentage of the teaching profession.
