POSITIVE

EMOTION
Emotions are conscious mental
reactions (such as anger or fear)
subjectively experienced as strong
feelings usually directed toward a
specific object and typically
accompanied by physiological and
behavioral changes in the body.
 All emotions begin with a subjective
experience, also referred to as a stimulus,
but what does that mean? While basic
emotions are expressed by all individuals
regardless of culture or upbringing, the
experience that produces them can he
highly subjective.
This physiological response is the result
of the autonomic nervous system’s
reaction to the emotion we’re
experiencing. The autonomic nervous
system controls our involuntary bodily
responses and regulates our fight-or-
flight response.
 The behavioral response aspect of the
emotional response is the actual
expression of the emotion. Behavioral
responses can include a smile, a grimace,
a laugh or a sigh, along with many other
reactions depending on societal norms
and personality.
During the 1970s, psychologist Paul
Eckman identified six basic emotions
that he suggested were universally
experienced in all human cultures.
List of the six basic emotions:

Sadness
Happiness
Fear
Anger
Surprise
Disgust
 The Oxford Handbook of Positive
Psychology defines them as “pleasant or
desirable situational responses… distinct
from pleasurable sensation and
undifferentiated positive affect”
(Cohn & Fredrickson, 2009).
 can be defined as “as an unpleasant or
unhappy emotion which is evoked in
individuals to express a negative effect
towards an event or person” (Pam, 2013).
Fear
Anger
Disgust
Sadness
Rage
Loneliness
Melancholy
Annoyance
Although they are not pleasant to
experience, negative emotions really are
necessary for a healthy life. This is true
for two big reasons:
1. Negative emotions give us a
counterpoint to positive emotions;
without the negative, would the
positive emotions still feel as good?
2. Negative emotions serve evolutionary
purposes, encouraging us to act in
ways that boost our chances of
survival and help us grow and develop
as people.
 Anger: to fight against problems
Fear: to protect us from danger
Sadness: to connect us with those we
love
Disgust: to reject what is unhealthy

As unpleasant as they may be, it can’t be

denied that negative emotions serve
important purposes in our lives.
Emotions, which originate as sensations in
the body, are intense feelings
(exhilaration, terror, despair) that last
only seconds to minutes. They are
controlled by chemicals our brains
release in response to a trigger or event—
basically our body's response to
whatever is happening around us.
While emotions start as sensations in the
body, feelings are generated from our
thoughts about those emotions. Or in
other words, feelings are how we
interpret emotions and let them sink in.
 A mood is a state of mind or a general
feeling that can influence your thoughts,
behaviors, and actions. Moods tend to be
less intense than emotions and do not
necessarily depend on an event or
trigger. Rather than being how you feel in
each moment, your mood is how you feel
over time.
Joy – a sense of elation, happiness, and perhaps even exhilaration, often
experienced as a sudden spike due to something good happening.

Gratitude – a feeling of thankfulness, for something specific or simply all-

encompassing, often accompanied by humility and even reverence.

Serenity – a calm and peaceful feeling of acceptance of oneself.

Interest – a feeling of curiosity or fascination that demands and captures your
attention.

Hope – a feeling of optimism and anticipation about a positive future.

Pride – a sense of approval of oneself and pleasure in an achievement, skill, or

personal attribute.
Amusement – a feeling of lighthearted pleasure and enjoyment, often
accompanied by smiles and easy laughter.

Inspiration – feeling engaged, uplifted, and motivated by something you

witnessed.

Awe – an emotion that is evoked when you witness something grand,

spectacular, or breathtaking, sparking a sense of overwhelming appreciation.

Elevation – the feeling you get when you see someone engaging in an act of
kindness, generosity, or inner goodness, spurring you to aspire to similar action.

Altruism – usually referred to as an act of selflessness and generosity towards

others, but can also describe the feeling you get from helping others.
Satisfaction – a sense of pleasure and contentment you get from accomplishing
something or fulfilling a need.

Relief – the feeling of happiness you experience when an uncertain situation

turns out for the best, or a negative outcome is avoided.

Affection – an emotional attachment to someone or something, accompanied

by a liking for them and a sense of pleasure in their company.

Cheerfulness – a feeling of brightness, being upbeat and noticeably happy or

chipper; feeling like everything is going your way.

Surprise (the good kind!) – a sense of delight when someone brings you
unexpected happiness or a situation goes even better than you had hoped.
Confidence – emotion involving a strong sense of self-esteem and belief in
yourself; can be specific to a situation or activity, or more universal.

Admiration – a feeling of warm approval, respect, and appreciation for someone

or something.

Enthusiasm – a sense of excitement, accompanied by motivation and

engagement.

Eagerness – like a less intense form of enthusiasm; a feeling of readiness and

excitement for something.

Euphoria – intense and the all-encompassing sense of joy or happiness, often

experienced when something extremely positive and exciting happens.
Contentment – peaceful, comforting, and low-key sense of happiness and well-
being.
Enjoyment – a feeling of taking pleasure in what is going on around you,
especially in situations like a leisure activity or social gathering.

Optimism – positive and hopeful emotion that encourages you to look forward
to a bright future, one in which you believe that things will mostly work out.

Happiness – a feeling of pleasure and contentment in the way things are going;
a general sense of enjoyment of and enthusiasm for life.

Love – perhaps the strongest of all positive emotions, love is a feeling of deep
and enduring affection for someone, along with a willingness to put their needs
ahead of your own; it can be directed towards an individual, a group of people,
or even all humanity.
Although positive emotions may seem to
have little purpose besides making us
“feel good,” they actually do a few very
important jobs.

The “point” of positive emotions depends

on who you ask; you will likely get a
different answer from experts in
different fields.
They might respond “to enhance human
beings’ chances of survival and
reproduction.”
They might say “to form the bonds that
connect us to others.”
 They might may say “to make life worth
living.”
Or, they might say “to broaden our
awareness and build our inner resources.”
Everyone wants to feel positive emotions
like happiness, excitement, and love.
Despite this, research on how to cultivate
such emotions has only recently begun to
flourish with the rise of movements like
positive psychology.
So why have scholars chosen to neglect
such an important dimension of the
human experience?
In her article (1998), Fredrickson offers
three possible explanations.
1. Positive emotions are few and less
differentiated
2. Problems demand attention
3. Theorists link emotions to action
tendencies
Fredrickson introduced the Broaden-and-
Build Theory of positive emotions in 1998.

The theory provides a convincing

explanation of the “point” of positive
emotions: to open our minds, broaden and
expand our awareness, and facilitate the
building and development of resources,
including knowledge, skills, abilities, and
relationships.
“…these positive emotions broaden an
individual’s momentary thought-action
repertoire: joy sparks the urge to play,
interest sparks the urge to explore,
contentment sparks the urge to savour
and integrate, and love sparks a recurring
cycle of each of these urges within safe,
close relationships.”
Through this lens, positive emotions
leave us free to be creative, playful,
curious, and experimental, and from these
behaviors flow opportunities to gain new
physical, social, and intellectual
resources.
This model is based on research that shows:

Positive emotions expand our attention.

Positive emotions expand or broaden our
thoughts (e.g., they help us think better).
Positive emotions lead to a greater range of
actions (e.g., we are open to taking a broader
range of actions in a problem-solving scenario).
Positive emotions lead to greater physical
resources (e.g., play can build our muscles and
help us develop new physical abilities).
Positive emotions lead to greater intellectual
resources.
Positive emotions lead to greater social
resources.
A reduction in stress and a boost to general well-being. Positive emotions can
act as a buffer between you and stressful events in your life, allowing you to
cope more effectively and preserve your mental health.

Experiencing positive emotions helps you modulate your reaction to stress and
allows you to recover from the negative effects of stress more quickly

Positive emotions can also facilitate more effective coping, which boosts health
by providing a buffer against symptoms of depression

May result in a stronger heart - several studies found that well-being was
significantly related to good cardiovascular functioning, general health, and
longevity overall
Experiencing positive emotions may also encourage individuals to make
healthier decisions, indirectly contributing to better health. Several positive
emotions lead to a variety of health benefits, including:

Happiness resulted in increased risk- and variety-seeking and gain-focused

behavior and,
Contentment resulted in increased risk avoidance and loss-focused behavior.

Positive emotions have been shown to have a positive impact on relationships

(romantic, friends, and family), therapy and counseling outcomes, grades and
academic achievements, and personal development.
Get outside
Take a nature walk or city hike.

Be active
Take a dance break! Lift weights. Do push-ups or sit-ups. Or kick around a ball
for a few minutes. Channel your energy into a quick cleaning of your home.

Practice relaxation techniques

Wash your face or rinse your hands in cool water to reduce tension and calm
nerves. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, stretch, do yoga, or meditate.

Embrace self-care
Make and enjoy a cup of tea and relax in a comfortable place. Curl up with a
book or magazine.
Check in with yourself
Take time to ask yourself how you are feeling.

Practice gratitude
Write three things you are grateful for. Tell someone you appreciate them.

Laugh!
Think of someone who makes you laugh or the last time you laughed so hard
you cried. Watch or listen to something fun.

Consider a new hobby

Try playing a musical instrument, gardening, following a new recipe, working on
a crossword puzzle, building something new in the workshop, or knitting.
Find an inspiring song or quote
Write it down (or screenshot it) so you have it nearby.

Maintain or build your social network

Check in with a friend, family member, or neighbor.

Connect with your faith through prayer or reach out to a member of your faith
community

Make an appointment with a counselor if you’ve been feeling overwhelmed with

stress, anxiety, sadness, or depressed mood.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, May 26). Tips to improve your emotional well-being.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/howrightnow/wellbeing/index.html
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definition-psychology/
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https://dakotafamilyservices.org/resources/blog/archive/moods-feelings-emotions/
Hefferon, K. (n.d.). Positive psychology: Theory, research and applications.
GoogleBooks.https://books.google.com/books/about/Positive_Psychology.html?id=TFU9YgEACAAJ
Kendra Cherry, Mse. (n.d.). Emotions and types of emotional responses. Verywell Mind.
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-are-emotions-2795178
Nicole Celestine, Ph. D. (2024, September 23). Broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions.
PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/broaden-build-theory/
Scribd. (n.d.). Positive psychology in a nutshell: The science of happiness - ilona boniwell. Scribd.
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Happiness-Ilona-Boniwell