Emotions And Feelings Are Not The Same Thing, Know The 5 Differences

Illustration of the difference between emotions and feelings (Unsplash/Brock Wegner)

JAKARTA – Emotions and feelings are often known to be biased. The reason is, both of them are mistakenly used to refer to mood. Emotions and feelings, according to Rachel Allyn, Ph.D. are two related but different things.

Emotions come from bodily sensations, reported by Psychology Today, Thursday, February 24. While feelings are influenced by emotions but are generated from our mental thoughts. The following is a more complete explanation of the difference between emotions and feelings according to psychologist and author of The Pleasure Is All Yours: Reclaim Your Body's Bliss and Reignite Your Passion for Life, Allyn.

1. Emotional sensations of the same body can trigger different feelings

Stomach tightness and shortness of breath are emotional responses. For example, someone feels the body's response when feeling awkward. There are also those who feel this is a response to the exciting experience of meeting new people. The body responds to the surrounding situation, then the mind labels it with feelings.

Illustration of the difference between emotions and feelings (Unsplash/Raamin Ka)

2. Emotions are like the engine of a car and feelings are the frame

When driving a car, the first thing that comes to life is the engine. It is an analogy for emotion that can give a more accurate diagnosis of what is happening in the moment. Then, feelings become a frame in driving emotions, where will it go, this depends on the direction of your thoughts.

3. Emotion is a reaction to reality

Emotions are raw data that is a reaction to reality. Meanwhile, feelings are diluted by stories that we make in our heads based on past events and fears about the future that are not necessarily appropriate to the situation.

By listening to our body's emotions, information from sensory perception helps us connect with the reality of the experience rather than stories made up of potentially inaccurate 'beliefs'. From the truth of the information, we can make the right decisions.

4. Accurate feelings start from identifying emotions

You can get a more honest assessment of your feelings by identifying your emotions first. If it is difficult to recognize the body, then ask yourself "How do I know this is true based on the signals in my body?".

Allyn advises, explore sensations as long as the state of your nervous system is different. Compare that to the fight-or-flight principle or stay frozen.

5. Emotion is the language of wisdom within

According to Allyn, emotions always try to provide useful information to become better. Therefore we need emotional intelligence that helps ground the body, manage reactive actions, and make wiser decisions.

Allyn's recommendation, work first on the sensations of the body before the excessive interference of the mind. That way, you can recognize the honest response of your body before your thoughts lead to biased feelings.