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Exploring the Nature & Benefits of Emotions 

Emotions have a strong impact on our thinking, behaviors and subsequently our relationships and performance. To be human is to be emotional, in fact we all react emotionally first and think afterward.So, it is vital to understand emotions and how you can make all emotions assets that can benefit you.

Learning Objectives:

  • Why there are no negative emotions
  • Understanding how emotions are messengers
  • Discerning the difference between “natural” and “reactive” emotions
  • Distinguishing emotions from thoughts (and why that matters)
  • Naming emotions

Download the Understanding Emotions Powerpoint.

Assignment:

Download and read Chapter 6 from the book Dear Human, Master Your Emotions, titled Embracing your Emotions. (Or read/listen to the version you already have.)

Awareness exercise: Over the next week, pay attention to your emotions. Check in on your emotions every hour, and also any time you notice a reaction. Write down in your journal the emotions you are feeling. Over the course of a week, evaluate what your most frequent emotions have been. What does that reveal for you?

After reflecting on these questions, journal about your insights and be ready to discuss them in the group forum.

Next Up:

No one likes pain and especially emotional pain, but the cost of avoiding it is much worse than the pain itself. We explore those consequences next.