07 Aug Distinguish different emotions for less depression and more happiness
A relatively simple but oft overlooked strategy for managing depression and boosting happiness and wellbeing is learning how to distinguish different emotions.
Even if we don’t do any more, clarifying exactly how you’re feeling and giving it a name, can minimise distress and maximise positivity including all the various forms of happiness.
If this sounds of interest to you then, keep reading…
via Psychology Today by Guy Winch
Imagine I caught you brooding about something that upset or troubled you and asked you what you were feeling at that very moment. How would you answer that question? Would you name one emotion, two, maybe several?
How we think of our emotional experience varies. When asked mid-brooding to name our emotions, some might simply say they were feeling sad. Others might notice they were actually both sad and frustrated. And some might label their emotions in a more granular way and report feeling sad, frustrated, jealous and a few more distinct feelings.
How granular we get in our ability to differentiate our emotions matters. Recent studies have found that our ability to do so has all kinds of implications, not just for how we think about our emotions but for how we manage them. For those who tend to brood and ruminate, an ability to differentiate emotions can make a significant difference when it comes to their risk of developing depression.
Ruminating and brooding about upsetting, embarrassing, or unpleasant situations is something we all do at times, but some people tend to do it more habitually than others. Ruminating has been linked to a wide variety of negative health and mental health outcomes (read The Hidden Dangers of Brooding and Ruminating), but it is an especially big risk factor when it comes to developing depression…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE