Types of human emotions. Positive emotions and how to evoke them

1. About the benefits of positive emotions

It is known from psychology that man very much needed positive emotions . We just need for our mental and physical well-being to smile as often as possible, to be in a state of satisfaction, happiness, optimism,. The more often this happens to us, the more confident and comfortable we feel in life, the more active and creatively oriented we are, the better our relationships with others, and the more positive our worldview in general. At the same time, our physical and mental health remains strong for a long time.

Scientists have proven that positive emotions extremely positive effect on our physical health and well-being. When we rejoice, laugh, smile, amazing transformations take place in our body: all spasms, clamps, tensions relax in it, blood circulation of all tissues and organs improves, the immune system is activated, vitality arrives, inflammations and tumors resolve.

There are many known cases where positive emotions people were cured of the most severe, incurable diseases.

2. About the causes of the deficit of positive emotions in modern life

However, a person's life is too hard, difficult, sad, full of experiences and stresses, difficult circumstances, illnesses, obstacles, and he is often not at all up to joy, not to laughter, not to positive emotions . This is especially true for life. modern man. After all, the range of our stress factors has expanded: we are no longer worried only about the problems of our own and our loved ones. TV alone daily loads us with the horrors and sufferings of all mankind, "entertains" with horror films, bloody scenes and scenes of violence, social conflicts, strains us with political battles, and so on and so forth.

Well, problems with own health, work, money, bosses, loved ones only reinforce this whole bunch of negative experiences ...

Maybe that's why Ukrainians, Russians, residents of other CIS countries, are so bleak in their mass? Maybe that's why harsh statistics tell us every year about the rapidly declining number of our indigenous population; about the growth of crime, drug addiction, alcoholism, homelessness, the birth of children with disabilities, deaths from AIDS, cancer, cardiovascular diseases?

No, television, of course, is trying to somehow compensate for the excess of negative information and supplies us with all kinds of shows, musical concerts, performances by comedians, comedies, tries to set us up for a wave of positive emotions ... Probably, this is what helps us somehow stay afloat. ..

However, statistics on all social parameters are still bleak. It continues to show a sharp deterioration in all vital parameters of our populationcompared with the Soviet period, a reduction in its numbers.

3. What is the way out?

What to do: how to return to our lives, return optimism and happiness to our families, how to stop the mortality and degeneration of the population?

Our people, as in ancient times, continue to hope for a new "good" father-king-president, accepts Active participation in election battles, is indignant, protests against social injustices, conflicts with the authorities and with each other, condemns some politicians, hopes for others ... Is it only in them, in politicians, in presidents, is there a way out?

Maybe the reason for our negative emotions and experiences - not in politicians, presidents and mayors, not in the circumstances of life, but in ourselves? It is probably that we ourselves do not know how to rejoice in what we have, we do not know how, and together with them love life and her? Perhaps that is why politicians come out of our midst so unprincipled, greedy, heartless?

So maybe the way out all the same - in the restoration of public morality and morality, in the revival of Christianity, as a nationwide, nationwide religion, the bearer of enduring moral values?

Read also on this topic.

Emotions and mood are close concepts and interrelated mental processes. Good mood and positive emotions go hand in hand. How to make sure that the mood is always excellent, and the emotions are only positive?

Emotions- These are the psychophysiological processes and states of the individual associated with instincts, needs and motives. Emotions regulate the activity of a person, suggest to him the correct reaction and method of action in a particular situation. Emotions also contribute to the acquisition of useful and the elimination of unnecessary habits, as they can serve as both positive and negative reinforcement.

Emotions make it possible to evaluate not only the real or emerging, but also possible situation. Emotions caused by this or that event, signaling the future life changes, provoke long-term changes in the general emotional background in other words, emotions predetermine mood. That is why emotions and mood are interconnected.

Both emotions and mood are divided into positive and negative ones according to the emotional tone. Positive emotions cause a good, that is, a cheerful, cheerful, elevated mood; negative - bad, sad, depressed, low mood.

Intense but short-lived emotional outbursts determine a lasting and less intense mood.

Mood is a form of the emotional life of the individual; stable, continuous, relatively even emotional condition, coloring in a certain tone for some time all the experiences of the individual.

The mood leaves an emotional imprint on everything that a person does, that is, it directly affects and to some extent forms the thoughts, words and actions of the individual.

Mood, as well as emotions, can be predetermined not only mentally, but also physiologically. For example, a change in hormonal levels can significantly change mood.

Despite the fact that emotions are intended to signal satisfactory or unsatisfactory living conditions, they are not always simple and unambiguous, many of them ambivalent contain both positive and negative connotations.

The range of emotions is extremely diverse. Approximately allocated seventy five human emotions combined with feelings. In this regard, it is interesting Kellerman-Plutchik theory of emotions. In it, a variety of emotions are visually represented in the form of a three-dimensional structural model.

The diversity of emotions predetermines the diversity types of mood. It can be irritable, sad, working (active), neutral, contemplative, enthusiastic, joyful, and so on.

What are the benefits of negative emotions and moods?

Good mood and positive emotions are the key success any activity wellness and overall satisfaction with life, and negative emotions and bad mood to a large extent "spoil" life.

For this and a number of other reasons, you always want to maintain high spirits and be fueled by positive emotions. But nature has endowed man with both positive and negative emotions for a reason. Both of them help to survive and adapt in the social environment.

No negative emotions would not be positive. If a person were in high spirits all the time, he would not survive in the far from paradise conditions of life on Earth and would behave inappropriately in many life situations.

There are events that cause natural emotions and feelings of sadness, longing, resentment, fear, anger, guilt, grief, despair and other negative experiences. Such emotions require expression and release. They signal that something bad has happened or may happen, the task is to survive it.

The two most primitive, basic, instinctive ways express emotions - laughter and tears. They are not needed, and sometimes it is simply impossible to restrain them.

Adequate, moderate negative emotions do not need to be hidden behind a mask of indifference, suppressed or “drowned out” various means, they need to be lived and experienced in order to maintain mental and physical health.

It is no secret that most often it is negative emotions that push a person to development and achievements, although, of course, it is much better when this happens simply at the request of the individual, without a sad background. Often, when only a bad mood makes you think about life, meanings, goals, purpose, the need for self-knowledge and personal growth.

Problems and difficulties arise when negative emotions and bad moods are too prolonged, intense and/or inadequate situations. In this case, with a problem bad mood And negative emotions need to fight on their own, and in particular difficult situations contact a psychologist or doctor.

For example, too prolonged, inappropriate and unreasonable mood with other adverse conditions, may give rise to affective mental disorder. So, too long a depressed mood can provoke depression.

It's interesting that mental disorders can provoke not only negative, but also positive inadequate emotions, such as, for example, delight or ecstasy.

So, if negative emotions and moods are not causeless, excessive or too long, they do not pose a significant threat to health, unless the person himself begins to aggravate his situation and get hung up on troubles.

How to maintain a good mood

Positive emotions such as joy, interest, admiration, calmness and others cause simple and everyday activities and things, the main thing is to be able to notice the good, enjoy life and create a positive atmosphere.

Cause positive emotions and uplift mood:

If no ways to cheer yourself up work, then the reason that caused apathy, despondency, sadness and other negative emotions is so significant that without it eliminate can't lift your spirits.

In this case, the algorithm of action is as follows:

1. Find out the cause of bad mood. Whether it is a matter of physical illness, an uncomfortable environment, a conflict, or some other event, you need to try to eliminate the cause (improve well-being, change the environment, resolve the conflict, etc.), if this is not possible, change your view and attitude to what is happening.
2. Express negative emotions. Until negative emotions are expressed, there is no place for positive ones, a kind of “iceberg” will turn out: a small part of the positive emotions, and under it a huge layer of negativity. It is known that when negative emotions are suppressed into the depths of the unconscious, various kinds of problems often arise.

If it is not possible to express emotions directly and momentarily, they resort to special techniques and exercises to get rid of negative emotions and stress. For example, if it was not possible to express anger in a way that did not harm anyone, you can beat a punching bag or a pillow at home in the safe environment of the gym.

1. Understand themselves. It is often difficult for people to find the reason for a bad mood - “everything is just bad”, “I’m completely confused”, “I don’t know what to do”. This happens when a person does not see the meaning and purpose in life or his internal conflicts are too complex and unconscious.

It is not difficult to take a step towards meeting yourself. It is enough to ask the question “What do I want from life, what do I need for happiness?” and try to find an answer to it. Either you need to get rid of something, or bring something into your life, or maybe both.

With the problem of bad mood and the predominance of negative emotions, it is recommended to contact a counseling psychologist or psychotherapist.

What mood do you most often observe in yourself?

Negative emotions always kind of scream at you, while positive emotions are more like whispers. This creates that very asymmetry between positive and negative, inclining our attention more to the negative (and in some cases leads to a complete inability to experience positive emotions). And this is not an individual feature, this is how the human brain works: everything negative sounds louder for us, warning of danger. This secret is well known to the media: the fastest, most reliable and, most importantly, the cheapest way to get our attention is a spark of fear (after all, all our “fearless” ancestors died out without evolving, right?).

Good news, friends!

"Friendship" with 10 positive emotions will help you cope with negative ones!

The person I consider my guide to positive psychology is Barbara Lee Fredrickson (Barbara Lee Fredrickson), she is the head of the Laboratory of Positive Emotions and Psychophysiology, President International Association positive psychology. This outstanding woman was at the forefront of the study of positive emotions and remembers the time when these studies were considered meaningless, as well as positive emotions themselves and their significance in human life. In her lectures on the varieties of positive emotions, Dr. Fredrickson deliberately forbade the use of the word "happiness", since, due to too frequent use, it has a rather generalized meaning and does not convey all possible emotional overflows.

1. Joy. That feeling when something really goes well for you, maybe even better than expected. We evaluate the situation and the world as safe, familiar and improving all the time. The feeling of joy causes the need to be playful. But it is during the game that we just learn. So in the case of a feeling of joy, the outcome is most often the acquisition of skills.
2. Gratitude. This is a calmer emotion, which is more associated with society. It is perceived not just as something good that happened to you, but as if someone intentionally went out of their way to do this good deed for you. We feel it as an altruistic gift that we want to compensate somehow. Therefore, gratitude leads to bestowal (at the same time, to the search for a creative way of bestowal), and the result of gratitude is social connections and the skill of intimacy and love. Feature gratitude, in its normal course, is the duration and cyclicality of this feeling, when the exchange of good deeds between people continues.
3. calmness. It feels like your current circumstances in life are so right that you want to prolong this feeling. Many people think that calmness leads to passivity and laziness. Yes, the state of serenity is accompanied by a feeling of security, confidence and low activity, but the main advantage of this feeling is the ability to enjoy, savor the moment and integrate the experience in oneself. The result of a sense of calmness is a change in one's Self, worldview and the arrangement of life priorities.
4. Interest. Yes, few people rank interest in positive emotions, and emotions in general. But this is his rightful place. You feel that the people around you, objects, circumstances are safe, but there is an element of novelty in them, something that you do not yet know, something mysterious. So the interest provokes research activities and the result of this emotion is new knowledge and fullness of energy.
5. Hope. A unique positive emotion that is born in circumstances that can not be called positive. You sense that the next emotion might very well be despair; it is the fear of the worst and the desire for the best, which contributes to the development of our ingenuity, increases resilience during and before difficult times.
6. Pride. I can already hear a dissatisfied grumbling... Do not confuse with pride and indiscretion! Pride is always associated with socially significant achievements. It's not just something you did well, but it's something good that is valued in your culture that brings people together. You can be proud of your actions, as well as the actions of your family members, friends, colleagues, fellow citizens. This is not boasting. It is a feeling that inspires you and makes you dream big. So the result of pride is new accomplishments (and new things to be proud of).
7. Fun. Isn't pleasure the beginning of fun? It is associated with frivolity, slight social inappropriateness. Your mistake does not lead to self-flagellation and condemnation, but to joint fun, laughter, and strengthening of ties. The outcome of the fun is not so insignificant - it is the creation of friendships, the development of creativity. Agree, for the sake of this you can afford to commit a little stupidity!
8. Inspiration. This emotion wakes up in us in contact with human perfection. At the same time, the emotion of inspiration is more connected with interpretation: when you see that people can do something very well, with talent, you say to yourself, “This is great! I would like to be like this person, to do the same!”. That is, this is a kind of combination of striving for one's own perfection and the ability to see and positively evaluate the superiority of another person. Where does inspiration come from? Of course, to the acquisition of new skills, creativity and the development of one's own morality.
9. Awe. This emotion is similar to inspiration, but it is more personal. You feel overwhelmed by the grandeur, you feel tiny compared to the incredible things that are happening around you. Reverence opens your heart and mind to new things, and the result of this emotion is a sense of being part of a greater whole.
10. Love. This is one of the most positive emotions. Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it accumulates in itself all other positive emotions: this is joy, and serenity, and gratitude, and inspiration, and pride in a loved one, etc. But it is also not an individual experience - it is a joint experience of two people. A positive sense of belonging that allows you to dream and explore and enjoy and play. Love bestows a feeling of strong connection, trust, community and health in general.

And in conclusion, a few more words about the asymmetry between positive and negative: the bad is stronger than the good, since negative emotions must scream to save our lives. Therefore, we notice the negative more often than the positive. But: in fact, positive events are more frequent than negative ones! There is scientific evidence to back this up. There are many good things in our life. But whether we allow positive events to turn into positive emotions is already a matter of choice and upbringing in the family. But, whether you like it or not, you feel these soft positive emotions all the time throughout the day, although we most often call them medium or neutral. Neutral emotions are positive emotions that we do not recognize or are not aware of at the moment. And if you recognize them, start noticing them - you will strengthen them and provide them with a field for their magical inner work!

The novelty of sensations is necessary for each of us at a certain time. Without it, we can lose the taste for life. As a rule, fate itself throws surprises at us, and we experience new fresh emotions, but it also happens that it seems that life has stopped and we don’t want anything anymore.

Novelty of sensations is the experience of new emotions. It is very similar to the acquisition of new knowledge. For example, you, as a professional, know how to do many different things, but you want to develop, learn something new and still unknown to you. The same goes for emotions. That is why we watch new films, listen to new hits, look for new books.

If it suddenly happened that you lost your taste for life, then one of the reasons for this may be precisely the lack of new and pleasant emotions. What exactly should be done in such a situation?

1.Emotions for the body

New experiences for the body are the easiest to get. It might be a new dish, now almost everywhere there is food delivery to your home, use it to try a new exotic cuisine. Or some interesting rides, dances, sports. In general, whatever you can experience through your body will fit perfectly.

2.Emotions for the mind

In this case, you need to get new impressions for the thought process. The first thing that immediately comes to mind is books. If you like to read serious literature on self-development and self-realization, then your brain will receive new information and with it emotions. It is not necessary to read serious literature, everything that makes you think will do: mahjong, puzzles, learning to write with your left hand, finally.

3.Emotions for the soul

Most the best option- a conversation with a close friend or loved one who accepts you for who you are. Although in itself a conversation with someone always evokes some emotions, but try to keep these only the most pleasant experiences. Music is also suitable, since it is it that awakens the most pleasant emotions in us, try listening to the sounds of the ocean.

Which emotion to choose is entirely up to you. You can use all types, or you can focus on just one. The main thing is that you can experience a pleasant experience that will evoke a new response in you.

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Positive emotions are necessary for each of us. Agree, without them life would be boring, gray and monotonous. Whether it's when we enjoy life, enjoy every day, get positive emotions from everything that surrounds us. However, emotions are short-lived, and we often have to "feed" ourselves in order to get positive sensations and emotions. Of course, each person has his own source of positive energy. We will tell you about some of the most popular of them.

Many of us get positive emotions from communicating with loved ones or friends. Communication helps to forget all adversity, difficulties, all bad emotions. The main thing is that your friends themselves do not splash out the negative on you. Meet friends, go to nature or cafes, enjoy the conversation. Especially it will be useful when you haven't seen each other for a long time. Meeting friends and family after a long separation is always uplifting.

Go on a trip or vacation

There is nothing better for getting rid of negative emotions than a change of scenery. Go on a trip to distant countries or go on vacation to the seaside, or to the mountains, and wherever you feel free from all the stresses and problems that have fallen on you. The main thing is not to drag them with you on a trip, but leave them at home. Having rested and having received positive emotions, it will be much easier for you to cope with them.

Find something to your liking

If you still do not have a hobby, then be sure to discover it for yourself. Doing what you love also helps to get rid of bad thoughts and emotions, and bring at least a little positive into life. A hobby can be anything, the main thing is that it does not harm you and your health, but brings only pleasure and joy.

Remember childhood fun

Why not?! In childhood, we did not think about problems, stress and other things that spoiled our mood and our precious health. Immerse yourself in childhood for a while, go rollerblading, skating or cycling, remember the childhood fun that you liked so much before. Phone your childhood friends and offer it to them, and then good mood You are secured.

Treat yourself to a day of beauty and relaxation

Men, for example, can sign up for a pool, buy a subscription in Gym or treat yourself to a new, expensive suit. Women can visit a beauty salon, a solarium, or go shopping in search of a new sundress. In general, make yourself pleasant and please yourself for at least one day, and positive emotions will surely visit you.

Here are some tips on how to get positive emotions and get rid of negativity. Of course, everyone has the right to choose which method is closer to him, and perhaps from the listed methods, and there is no one at all that suits you. Then you just need to remember what brings you joy and happiness, and apply it right now! In any case, it is better to get rid of the negative, there is nothing good in it. Good luck!