Positive emotions are defined as those emotions that bring forth a pleasurable experience. They are complex responses to our environment, thoughts, and perceptions that are deemed to be pleasant or make us feel good. Some examples of our positive emotions include love, joy, contentment, satisfaction, happiness, and serenity.
We naturally crave happiness. We want to feel good. That makes us want to search for the things that we think will make us happy and content.
However, happiness and other positive emotions exist side by side with negative emotions, such as fear, anger, and sadness. We need to learn how to balance these two opposing types of emotions to achieve a more meaningful life.
Positive emotions play a powerful role in how we deal with negative feelings. Experiencing positive emotions regularly not only makes us feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside, but they can also help build our personal power.
Learning about positive emotions and how they affect us can help us better understand the range of emotions that we often feel – from the good to the ones we deem as being negative.
What Roles Do Positive Emotions Play?
Experiencing any positive emotion plays a significant role in our well-being. An increase in our emotions doesn’t always have to be a state of complete euphoria. Even small moments of positivity accumulated over time can help build our character and resilience.
Positive emotions are so strong that they have the power to undo negative emotions and aid with recovery from illnesses. This also helps with our longevity. Happy people live longer, as well as enjoy life more!
Aside from the physical aspects, positive emotions can broaden our cognition and make us more accepting of other people. So in short, positive emotions can help us survive, thrive, and get along well with others. They help us overcome the challenges and difficulties that we face in life.
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How Can We Develop Stronger Positive Emotions?
To experience the feelings that positive emotions bring, all you have to do is open your eyes so you can see the positivity that surrounds you. Developing stronger positive emotions starts with your thoughts. Your thoughts play a significant part in how you feel.
Thinking about the positive things that have happened to you, recalling and reflecting on the things that made you happy, and just overall adopting a positive mindset will help foster positive emotions. You can’t feel good if you are brooding on all the negativities in your life. Think happy thoughts and be happy!
You can reframe your negative self-talk by sticking to the facts rather than assuming or thinking something else, which can make you feel upset or angry.
You also have to be aware of your beliefs, and that your perceptions are the ones that can make you feel all sorts of negative emotions. Your thoughts may not be aligned with reality, and you may be feeling down for no good reason at all. You need to think about the consequences of these negative thoughts and how they can affect you and the people around you.
Another way you can build up your positive emotions is to be grateful. We often neglect to focus on the good things we have in our life. Instead, we can become too focused on the things we don't have. So don’t look down, look up and be grateful for what we have. This in itself fosters positive emotions.
In closing, your positive emotions don’t always have to make you feel giddy with excitement. Your positive emotions are part of a wider range of feelings. You may feel inner peace, a sense of gentleness within, or feelings of calm and serenity. These are all positive, beautiful emotions. Remember, the only way you can truly appreciate positive emotions is from a comparison with the negative emotions you have experienced. You can’t fully feel one, without the other. You need the comparison, and that’s all part of being human.
