Recognizing the difference between emotions and feelings is important in our pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.
In everyday discussion, we often use the terms feelings and emotions interchangeably. These are often employed to reflect how we respond and interpret any situation we encounter. Understandably, there is a range of options when we discuss feelings and emotions, extending from extremely negative to very positive. While these terms are sometimes used synonymously, they actually relate to two distinct biological processes. Understanding this difference is important and provides an opportunity to further leverage our biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
Throughout this article series, there has been much discussion regarding the importance of strengthening our anchored and grounded states and improving nervous system flexibility. Ultimately, this ability provides the necessary framework so that we can maintain the optimal biological states to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance. This occurs by limiting the shifts into protective and defensive states and when these inevitably occur being able to return back towards anchored and grounded states.
When we encounter any experience along the internal, external, or relational pathways, we have an immediate response followed by our interpretation of the situation. This two step process can seem as though it occurs simultaneously, however, they are two distinct processes. The first step is our physiological response and associated sensations to whatever we may have experienced. This is termed our emotion. The second step is the interpretation of the event and, in particular, our response to it. This may include integration of our narratives and stories, which may pre-exist the situation. This process is termed our feelings.
When we consider the concepts of emotions and feelings within the framework provided by the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, we can further delineate the difference. Our emotions in response to a given experience are determined by our nervous system response to the cue we have just experienced across the internal, external, or relational pathway. As this occurs subconsciously and instantaneously, we have no direct control over our emotions.
In contrast to our emotions, our feelings are largely determined by the meaning and story we apply to the experience and sensations we have just encountered. This is strongly influenced by our biological state at the time. As discussed in past articles, our biological state is a very strong influencer and determinant of the narratives and stories which our brain utilizes to make sense of what we have just experienced.
To further illustrate the difference between emotions and feelings, a common experience can be further explored. When we encounter a situation that leads to increased heart rate, faster breathing, sweaty palms, and an altered sensation such as a twisting or turning in our stomach we can experience these physiological sensations and depending on the scenario label very different feelings. If these physical responses are encountered when we are participating in an event we have been looking forward to, such as a sporting event or concert, we provide the interpretation that we are excited. However, if we are about to take an important examination or begin a high stakes negotiation, the exact same physical sensations are often labeled as a feeling of nervousness, anxiety, or worry. This example is most likely shared by all of us. This further emphasizes how our emotions and feelings, though related, are actually distinct concepts.
From a more technical perspective, our emotions are the physical sensations we experience in response to a situation we have encountered. There is no particular valence attached to these sensations. They are neither positive nor negative. The feelings which we then describe are our brain’s attempt to interpret and provide meaning or explanation to the physical sensations we have experienced. This is where a valance is attached, ranging from negative to positive experiences.
The above discussion informs how it can become important to manage our nervous system as best as possible as this will play an important role in the feelings we experience in response to the situations we encounter. As described above, our feelings are our brain’s attempt to make sense of an experience and it is largely influenced and dictated by our biological state at the time. Moreover, as we are able to influence our biological state through the cognitive skills and body-based practices within the framework of the Practices of the Healthcare Athlete, we are able to shift our biological state, thereby impacting the feelings we may experience in response to the events we encounter.
It is also important to acknowledge that when we experience feelings, in particular those which we may find uncomfortable, we can use this as an opportunity for a check-in with our biological state. By implementing body-based skills to shift our biological state, it is often the case that our feelings about the exact same situation and the associated physical sensations change dramatically.
We can all share in the experience that our feelings are a strong determinant of how we perceive the situations we encounter. By implementing the above framework, we are able to exert more influence over our feelings. While we are unable to change the emotions we experience in direct response to the situation we encounter, by implementing the strategies discussed above, we can impact our feelings in response to the same situation.
The ability to influence our feelings can first be considered to emerge from increasing the strength of our anchored and grounded states as well as nervous system flexibility. This provides the capacity to spend more time in anchored and grounded states and return to such states following shifts into protective and defensive states. On account of our biological state strongly influencing the narratives and meaning our brain provides to the situations we encounter, this will have a direct impact on many of the feelings we experience.
The second component to this overall strategy is that by utilizing the recognition of our feelings as an opportunity for a check-in with our biological state, we can then implement appropriate mind-based and body-based skills and tactics to shift our biological state. By shifting back towards anchored and grounded states, the story and narrative which we then tell ourselves will typically shift thereby impacting our feelings.
It is also important to recognize that when we experience feelings on a regular basis which are typically associated with more negative situations, such as worry, fear, anxiety, doubt, and dread that this can lead to our biological state shifting further into protective and defensive states. Ultimately it can be difficult to shift out of these states when they become continuous in nature. This can be described as becoming locked in such states. In order to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, it is essential that we are able to shift back into anchored and grounded states and limit our exposure to protective and defensive states. By influencing our feelings, the strength of our anchored and grounded states and degree of nervous system flexibility can become a strong determinant of our ability to accomplish this.
The above discussion is important to establish an understanding of the distinct nature of emotions and feelings. More significantly, it is important that we utilize this recognition to implement the necessary skills, strategies, and tactics so that we are able to influence our feelings in response to the situations we encounter. This becomes an important determinant of our overall ability to pursue health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance.
To learn more, including about biologically complementary coaching for healthcare professionals and others in high demand domains, please visit www.darindavidson.com.
Dr. Darin Davidson partners with Learner+, a CME/CE reflective learning platform for healthcare providers. For the opportunity to reflect on this article and earn CME/CE credits, Launch here. Check out all past articles which are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits.
For downloadable, actionable strategies and tactics to leverage biology in the pursuit of health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance, visit the resource store, Launch here. Chapters are arranged by topic so those of interest can be selected and each are also eligible for reflections and CME/CE credits through Learner+.