Emotion is one of the channels by which the subconscious mind communicates with the outside world. To ignore such information would be a great shame, since it has such a direct and palpable impact on our lives. Human emotion is the product of chemicals in the body called hormones. Unlike changing a TV channel, once a certain hormone is secreted into the blood stream, its effects continue until the body breaks it down, which is a time-consuming process. We change our emotions not by getting rid of the effects of those hormones, but by preventing further secretion of them. We now turn to the origins of emotion, which we will try to understand in greater detail using a model known as the “Wheel of Emotions.” Source: S.T.P. Sachi (2017), How much control do you really have over yourself? Emotion perception is therefore the first step towards retaking control of one's thoughts and it can be practiced by applying the “Four Noble Truths” Step 1: What is the exact extent of your problem? With each passing day, different emotions come and go all the time. Have you ever tried to keep track of all those emotions and understand where they are coming from? At least, if such a feat was possible, you could be sure of which emotion you are feeling by following the techniques outlined below. Identify the emotion: Each time an emotion forms, try to name it, describe how it makes you feel, and say it out loud. Identifying your emotions will help you to keep track of undesirable emotions and make it easier for you to adjust them. There is no need to identify every emotion, just start with the most intense and most prominent emotions to begin with, and then as you get better at it, try to do it for as many emotions as possible. You can refer back to the Wheel of Emotions. Evaluate the emotion: Assigning a score to the emotion will help you to recognize the intensity of the emotion and gauge whether it is getting stronger or weaker. Observe bodily expressions: Bodily expressions produced by an emotion are easier to perceive than the emotion itself. You can therefore use bodily expressions to help you perceive your emotions. Look for changes in your breathing, heart rate, or any sudden onset of muscle tension. Also lookout for an upset stomach, tightness in the chest, or a feeling of hot or cold in the face, skin, hands, or feet. These are all good starting points for emotion perception. Observe behaviors that can be traced back to the emotion: As with bodily expressions, certain behaviors are a product of certain emotions, and can therefore be traced back to where they came from. You are likely to be aware of your own your bodily expressions, whereas others are not. For behavior, however, the opposite holds true: you are less likely to be aware of your own behavior, whereas others can see it easily. For example, you might pull a particular face or grimace when you feel disgusted, or you might frown when you feel worried. In such cases, you are probably not even aware of your behavior, but others will have little trouble noticing it. You can learn more about yourself by trying to see yourself from the perspective of others. Likewise, by observing others' behavior, you can train yourself to perceive their emotions too. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness trains the mind to perceive things with greater agility. As noted in chapter 2, the practice of mindfulness emphasizes being aware of the present moment. Many mindfulness exercises start by being mindful of bodily sensations, such as breathing, or other physical activities, such as walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. An agile mind that is quicker at perceiving the present moment is better equipped to perceive subtleties in affect, feeling, mental processes, and even nature itself. When you practice these emotion perception techniques—identifying the emotion, evaluating the emotion, observing bodily expressions, and observing behavior—you will enhance your mental agility and strengthen your emotion perception skills, especially if you combine these techniques with mindfulness exercises. Step 2 - What is the origin of your problem?
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