We Meet Our Needs Thanks To Our Emotions

Everyone has different kinds of needs. Maslow has explained this well by means of his pyramid. Some needs are basic like food and protection. Others have to do with relationships such as affection and recognition. Our emotions allow us to meet our needs.

After all, they help us to survive and make it possible to know the difference between a good and a bad situation. They also encourage us to associate and communicate with others.

Emotions are, as it were, our inseparable friends with whom we go on vacation. However, sometimes we can be annoyed by our own emotions. So we need to learn how to steer them properly. This is necessary to be able to live better inwardly with those emotions.

We exist and communicate thanks to our emotions

Emotions are necessary for survival. One of their primary functions is psychologically preparing us to act. Many animals exhibit very effective emotional behaviors. By this we mean that there are certain emotions that help us to act immediately. This may be the first way emotions help us meet our needs.

For example, if you are afraid when you see a snake, your body will react before you even think whether the snake is poisonous or not. In this case, your heart rate will rise so that the body can send more blood to the muscles. This ensures that you can escape from possible danger. So if you need to get out of a situation quickly, you will act this way instead of wasting time thinking.

Your emotions also tell others how you perceive and interpret internal and external stimuli. We usually communicate this in a non-verbal way. This form of communication is faster, more spontaneous and more intuitive than verbal communication. So this means that your emotions will influence others, even if it is not your intention.

Emotions drive us because they provide us with valuable information about any situation. They can help you see whether you like the situation or not. Depending on how you feel, you will want to repeat or avoid the experience that way. They are like an inner compass that helps us orient ourselves and know what is really important. So they make sure that we meet our needs.

Emotions help us meet our needs

No emotion is positive or negative. Some emotions can feel just great (like happiness) and others not so great (like sadness or anger). Every unique emotion has a purpose. All emotions have a purpose and are necessary.

They are your companions. Wherever you go, they go with you. They tell us what we need and how we can meet our needs. Let’s look at some examples:

• Anger: We feel anger in unfair situations. Perhaps these are times when we feel that our rights are not being taken into account. Then we have to set boundaries and protect ourselves.
• Sadness: We feel sad when we lose a person, an object, a job, and so on.
• Fear: We experience fear when faced with a dangerous situation. We need to feel protected and safe.

• Joy: Good experiences, winning something, achieving success at work or school and many other things give us the feeling of joy. Usually we want to share this feeling with other people.

If you didn’t feel anger, would you protect yourself? Suppose you were never sad. Would you then know how to deal with loss? How could you know you’re in danger if fear didn’t exist? Would you be able to know what makes you happy, if joy didn’t let you experience it? Your emotions have a reason to exist. Let them guide you!

4 strategies to manage emotions

So it’s okay for your emotions to show you the way. However, you have to make sure they do it the right way. Don’t get carried away by impulses. Also watch your thoughts. You should not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by emotions without keeping your head up.

This is why it is important that you learn how to properly direct your emotions. The following four steps will help you manage your emotions:

Recognise

Being aware of the emotion you are feeling will certainly help you control it. Learn how to distinguish, for example: are you sad or angry? Also learn to distinguish whether it is the concrete situation or the thought from which this emotion arises.

This will enable you to act appropriately. In addition, being aware of our own emotions can help us recognize them in others. So we will be more empathetic.

Permit

There are emotions that we may consider negative, such as sadness and anger. Yet it is fundamental that we learn to allow them in rather than keep them out of our emotional repertoire. Emotions come and go. It’s a process.

If you’re sad right now, it doesn’t mean you’ll be sad forever or you’re a sad person. Try not to block or suppress your emotions. Listen to your emotions. Feel them and learn to deal with them.

Self-steering

We are all capable of self-direction. Don’t let the feeling just disappear over time. Do something with it! Do your best to clear negative thoughts from your mind. Focus on the positive side of things.

Distract yourself or do something you enjoy. This will reduce the intensity of your emotions. Work on yourself and learn to control your impulses. That way you will take care of yourself and improve your well-being at the same time.

Express yourself and communicate

However, emotions are not only self-remedies. You should also express them to the people around you. After all, emotions must be shared. Have faith in others and let them know how you feel and what you need.

We summarize. Emotions help us meet our needs. They send us so we know how to act. Emotions are incredibly valuable. They allow us to survive and communicate with others.

First we feel our emotions. Then we decide what to do with it. That means that we are responsible for our own actions. Let’s be consistent with our feelings and thoughts so that we can express them assertively!