Buzz
In challenging times, we tend to rely on one dominant emotion, even when others may be more fitting. For instance, you might feel anxious during stressful situations, even though anger, sadness, or frustration might be more appropriate reactions.
According to Alice Boyes, Ph.D., author of 'The Healthy Mind Toolkit,' in a recent Psychology Today article, your dominant emotional style is the emotion you instinctively turn to in stressful situations. It often reflects how you perceive and react to the world. For example, if anxiety is your default response, it could stem from self-blame. On the other hand, if anger is your dominant emotion, it may arise from believing others are out to harm you.
Being able to experience a wide range of emotions is crucial for mental and emotional health.
We tend to fall back on our dominant emotion because it's the one we're most accustomed to. However, embracing a variety of emotions is essential for leading a healthier, more fulfilling life.
You can think of emotions as part of a balanced ecosystem, where each emotion plays a role in maintaining the system's health. If one emotion becomes overly dominant, it disrupts the balance and affects the well-being of the entire system.
Research suggests that those who experience a wide range of emotions tend to enjoy better mental and physical health, including lower rates of depression. This could be because a mix of emotions, even negative ones, helps prevent any single emotion from taking control.
Two ways to manage your dominant emotion
Excessive dominance of one emotion can drain you and lead to burnout. Boyes suggests two strategies to help you distance yourself from your dominant emotional state.
The first approach is to consider alternative interpretations of the situation. Boyes, whose dominant emotion is anxiety, often blames herself. However, when she takes a step back to analyze the situation and consider other possible explanations, it allows space for different emotions to emerge.
The second strategy is to tune into the quieter emotions, those that are overshadowed by the dominant one. 'When I focus on my smaller emotions, they tend to come to the forefront more,' Boyes shared. These subtler feelings can offer fresh solutions and provide a more balanced outlook.
Boyes emphasizes that using these techniques to reduce the influence of your dominant emotion can bring several benefits. These include relief, increased creativity, new problem-solving approaches, and the motivation to consider alternative strategies that you may have otherwise overlooked.
As Boyes mentioned, feeling other emotions can be unsettling at times. 'It's okay if experiencing your non-dominant emotions makes you feel uneasy or uncertain. You can feel unsettled and still gain from the experience,' she noted.
