How to Understand Emotions | Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

Comments · 2K

• HU

  @huzaibkhan185 · 1 year ago

  Right now, there are people all over the world who are just like you. They're either lonely, they're missing somebody, they're depressed, they're hurt, they're scarred from the past, they're having personal issues no one knows about, they have secrets you wouldn't believe. They wish, they dream and they hope. And right now, they are sitting here reading these words, and I'm writing this for you so you don’t feel alone anymore. What really helped me start overcoming the pain and actually move toward my goals was reading Manifest the Unseen by Luna Rivers, it opened my eyes in ways I didn’t expect. Always remember, don’t be depressed about the past, don’t worry about the future, and just focus on today. ❤

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• JO

  @jonmeisburg · 2 years ago

  Here are 10 key points summarizing the discussion: <br> <br>1. Emotions emerge from overall brain-body states, not distinct entities. The brain makes guesses to reduce uncertainty and plan actions. <br> <br>2. &quot;Affect&quot; refers to general feelings tied to the body budget. Managing affect through sleep, nutrition, etc. helps regulate emotions. <br> <br>3. There are no universal facial expressions for specific emotions. We make inferences about others&apos; emotions from movements in context. <br> <br>4. Emotion concepts and words summarize past experiences into categories to guide future actions. <br> <br>5. More nuanced emotion vocabulary allows us to construct finer-grained categories and actions. <br> <br>6. Other languages often have emotion words that English lacks. Learning these expands our emotional granularity. <br> <br>7. Relationships profoundly shape emotions through social synchrony and acts of kindness that provide &quot;savings&quot; in the body budget. <br> <br>8. Toxic relationships &quot;tax&quot; us. Choosing partners wisely is foundational for mental health. <br> <br>9. Depression is like a &quot;bankrupt&quot; body budget. Physical factors like sleep, nutrition, and exercise are crucial for affect. <br> <br>10. Focusing attention on nuances of physical sensations, rather than emotion labels, can provide wisdom to guide different actions.<br>--------------------------- <br>Here are some specific actions you can take for each of the key points: <br> <br>1. <b>*Emotions emerge from overall brain-body states, not distinct entities.*</b> To better understand your emotions, pay attention to your physical sensations, thoughts, and emotions as a whole. How are they interconnected? How do they change over time? <br>2. <b>*&quot;Affect&quot; refers to general feelings tied to the body budget. Managing affect through sleep, nutrition, etc. helps regulate emotions.*</b> Make sure to get enough sleep, eat a nutritious diet, and exercise regularly. These things will help to regulate your body budget and improve your overall affect. <br>3. <b>*There are no universal facial expressions for specific emotions. We make inferences about others&apos; emotions from movements in context.*</b> When you are trying to understand someone else&apos;s emotions, pay attention to their body language and facial expressions. Consider the context of the situation as well. What is the person saying? What is happening around them? <br>4. <b>*Emotion concepts and words summarize past experiences into categories to guide future actions.*</b> Think about the different emotions you have experienced in your life. What are the common themes? How have these experiences shaped your behavior? <br>5. <b>*More nuanced emotion vocabulary allows us to construct finer-grained categories and actions.*</b> Learn new words to describe your emotions. This will help you to better understand and manage your own emotional experience. <br>6. <b>*Other languages often have emotion words that English lacks. Learning these expands our emotional granularity.*</b> If you are interested in learning a new language, pay attention to the emotion words that it has. How are they different from the emotion words in English? <br>7. <b>*Relationships profoundly shape emotions through social synchrony and acts of kindness that provide &quot;savings&quot; in the body budget.*</b> Spend time with people who make you feel good. Be kind to others and offer your support. Social connection is essential for emotional well-being. <br>8. <b>*Toxic relationships &quot;tax&quot; us. Choosing partners wisely is foundational for mental health.*</b> Avoid relationships that are draining or abusive. Choose partners who are supportive and caring. <br>9. <b>*Depression is like a &quot;bankrupt&quot; body budget. Physical factors like sleep, nutrition, and exercise are crucial for affect.*</b> If you are struggling with depression, make sure to get enough sleep, eat a nutritious diet, and exercise regularly. These things will help to improve your body budget and mood. <br>10. <b>*Focusing attention on nuances of physical sensations, rather than emotion labels, can provide wisdom to guide different actions.*</b> When you are feeling overwhelmed by emotions, try to focus on your physical sensations. What are you feeling in your body? What does your body need? <br> <br>It is important to note that these are just suggestions. The best way to improve your life is to experiment and find what works best for you. Be patient and kind to yourself along the way.

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• IT

  @Itsme-e5j · 2 years ago

  Andrew is teaching people how to be humble by example. ❤

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• SH

  @shrirangbondale2263 · 2 years ago

  What i like about this podcast : she has studied so much about her subject, she basically points out what&apos;s wrong with stuff we commonly know and goes a level deeper and explains it properly... ( It was harder for me personally to visualise what is stress but after she explained what cortisol is, i was able to visualise it properly)

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• LA

  @LayanKhadra-xv2lw · 4 hours ago

  There is a phenomenon that interests me in which I hope to get an answer to. <br><br>I’ve noticed that throughout my lifetime, when I am in good ‘mood’ or in high states of energy, my physical well being isn’t as much affecting my life. I care less about my sleep, food, and exercise, and very counterintuitively, I feel better.<br><br>However, whenever I am in a bad state or low mood, I suddenly hyper fixate on my physical efforts to maintain a good ‘affect’, and yet I still feel tired and depleted. <br><br>Is there a scientific explanation to this phenomenon?

• MI

  @mikahspatzierer4464 · 2 years ago

  &quot;Backpfeifengesicht&quot; is a German word for &nbsp;&quot;a face badly in need of a fist&quot;.<br>Personal favourite &nbsp;is &quot;Waldeinsamkeit&quot; which is the &quot;spiritual and connective solace found in being alone in the woods&quot;

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• BE

  @bethearly4593 · 2 years ago

  I am an early intervention speech therapist. I have been endorsing that parents label/ñame emotions for their children for the very reasons that Dr. Feldman states. However, my head is now spinning with regard to the new information I am learning about whether emotional states are genetically determined, cultural influences etc. LOVE THIS TOPIC and now I have a new and long list of books to buy, highlight and make notes in, then incorporate this information into my practice and what I tell my graduate clinicians. Also: comments about the language differences is spot on. I speak Spanish and there are many words used to describe emotions that are not available in English Thank you so much!

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• LE

  @lexfridman · 2 years ago

  Such a great conversation. Lisa is amazing! ❤

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• HA

  @HarshitKashyap-c6x · 11 days ago

  Wait, is Anwen Reid’s anxiety quiz mainly about how different people respond to stress? Because that would explain why the same advice can help one person and make absolutely no difference to someone else. I might actually have to try this.

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• LU

  @lusmerlin · 2 years ago

  The universal expression discussion hits home. I am from the Dominican Republic and came to rural Maryland and people at work kept saying that I was getting angry and that I was aggressive when I was feeling neutral and even nicer than most! I eventually realized it was how they interpreted my gestures. Back home we express everything more intensely. I started acting... using more neutral faces or slightly smiling... Started speaking in a slightly higher pitch... Boom! As I met more people, they seemed to like me and find me funny and even chill! This has significant repercussions for career outcomes - whether someone considers an Asian person not to be leadership material because they are inexpressive, or they isolate a black woman because they find her aggressive.

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• TN

  @TnE84 · 2 years ago

  “Part of being emotionally intelligent is knowing when not to construct an emotion!”. 💣 ❤

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• ME

  @me0101001000 · 2 years ago

  This is particularly valuable for neurodivergent people. People with ASD, like myself, often struggle with understanding the emotions of others as well as our own, which leads to issues with expression, communication, and general connection with other people. Tools like your podcast are an immense help. Thanks, professor!

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