Nature developed our emotions over millions of years of evolution. As a result, our emotions have the potential to serve us today as a delicate and sophisticated internal guidance system. Our emotions alert us when natural human need is not being met. For example, when we feel lonely, our need for connection with other people is unmet. When we feel afraid, our need for safety is unmet. When we feel rejected, it is our need for acceptance which is unmet.

~~~Steven Hein – Founder EQI.org

HAPPY, LAUGHING, LOVE, JOY, SADNESS, ANGER, FEAR, LONELINESS….. These are many of the emotions we feel on a regular basis.  Emotions can be so strong that we may not remember what happened but we will remember our emotions in the particular event.  There are several emotions that fit into 2 categories that are important to mention here.  There are emotions that will drain you of energy or are negative energy and emotions that will increase your energy or are positive energy.  Do you know which is which?

I think it is pretty easy to tell. The happy, joyous, laughing and love etc… all increase your energy.  Then there is anything like depression,stress, fear, loneliness, anger, and so on that depletes your energy reserve.   That is why it is always wise keep upbeat during the day.  If you stay around happy upbeat people your energy will stay up.  Likewise, if you are always with angry, depressed people they are energy zappers.  Not only is this important for your energy, but in the long-term it will affect your health as well.

If you feel afraid, you try to escape from the danger. If you’re happy, you relax. If you are disgusted, you may feel sick. Your emotions influence your behaviour. Our ancestors relied on their emotions to survive. But these days, we use our emotions more for making lifestyle decisions than simply staying alive.

Feeling afraid helps you to react to dangerous situations.

Enjoyment triggers areas in your brain known as ‘pleasure centers’. They release ‘feel-good’ chemicals, in particular dopamine. All animals have this reward system,

What makes you laugh? Being tickled, jokes, slapstick comedians – but why? We don’t really know, although researchers in California have found the part of the brain that may be responsible. The doctors were performing brain surgery on a 16-year-old girl, for epilepsy. Every time a small area at the front of her brain was electrically stimulated, she burst out laughing. The girl always came up with a reason for her mirth – ‘You guys are just so funny!’.

Danger can make you feel either angry or frightened: both these emotions are triggered by the same part of the brain – the amygdala. The amygdala in turn triggers a response in the hypothalamus, a key area for many of the things your brain does ‘without thinking’ including this ‘fight or flight’ response.

When remembering an emotional event, you recall not only what happened, but also how you felt – an emotional memory. Both sorts of memory can be triggered by something you heard, saw or even smelt, at the time. Scientists think that you store early emotional memories, even if you cannot remember what actually happened. These memories may still affect you as adults.

~~~Science Museum.org.uk

Soooo…. get up every day with a smile on your face!!!  Be thankful for each day,  and make sure you LAUGH everyday!!!  I don’t care if you sit in front of a computer screen looking at numbers all day or wash toilets or dig poop for a living.  Take a break, read a joke, watch a sitcom or a funny movie, or if you have to at first force yourself to laugh.  JUST DO IT!!!!!

Namaste!

Donna