Our emotions and experiences are linked to the brain's limbic system. This part of the brain is present in all mammals and evolved to help us survive. The limbic system forms emotional connections with everything happening inside and outside of us: thoughts, sensations, objects, people, and events. Every moment, the limbic system conditions and controls our behavior, often without our conscious awareness.
Neuropsychologists have discovered that everything we do is based on the brain's desire to reduce danger or increase reward. This is one of the core principles of brain organization, and emotions play a key role in it. Emotions like joy, excitement, and curiosity encourage us to approach what we desire. On the other hand, sadness, anxiety, and fear warn us of potential threats. The brain processes each stimulus from the outside world and categorizes it into "stay away" or "come closer". This decision-making process happens in about half a second – faster than we can consciously decide whether we want or like something. By the time we become aware, the brain has already made the decision and set actions in motion.
Interestingly, the brain's reaction to potentially dangerous stimuli is several times stronger and longer-lasting than its reaction to positive reinforcement. This makes sense because the brain's primary goal is survival, meaning it will protect us from threats by any means necessary. Such perceived threats might include public speaking, open spaces, spiders, rats, and more. Additionally, each person has their own "red buttons:" - situations from the past that were deemed threatening. Similar situations in the future may trigger an excessively strong avoidance reaction. These triggers could be dates, phone calls, stairs, parties, or virtually anything.
When a person's limbic system is overloaded with real or imagined dangers, the brain 's "talls" and inhibits the functioning of the prefrontal cortex. This limits our ability to comprehend and process events. Once burned, twice shy. When the limbic system takes control, we tend to react more strongly to negativity, take fewer risks, focus on the downsides of things and people, and draw more (often erroneous) connections between events.
A look at emotions. Ways to Regulate Emotions in Difficult Situations
Recognize and Name Your Emotions It's important to learn to identify and name your emotions. MRI studies have shown that when participants verbalized their feelings, the brain activity in the emotion-related regions significantly decreased. This means that simply stating your feelings can reduce emotional stress. For instance, if you're nervous before a public speech, you could begin by acknowledging how important the event is to you, which explains your nervousness.
Express Your EmotionsAvoid the common mistake of suppressing your emotions in stressful situations. Instead, express them. For example, if you feel sad, let yourself cry. It's appropriate more often than you might think. Experiments have shown that when you try to suppress emotions around others, their blood pressure increases because they expect a certain reaction and don't receive it. Suppressing emotions harms both you and those around you. In contrast, expressing your feelings eases the experience for everyone and gives others permission to be genuine with their own emotions.
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