It's difficult to perceive one's own emotions, why does cognition and emotion not align?

Dear questioner,

I'm so sorry, I don't really understand the relationship between emotion and cognition either! I did some research online and found this article that I hope you'll find useful.

Emotions are a physical and mental state that we experience in response to something that's happening in our lives. They're a reflection of whether our biological and social needs are being met. Let me give you an example. Imagine a child who's tired and really wants to go to sleep, but their parents are insisting that they study. It's only natural that they'll become irritable.

There's nothing better than being happy when we're with someone we love!

Cognition is a pretty amazing process! It includes all kinds of activities like perception, thinking, and decision-making. Let's say we meet someone new. We form an impression of their appearance, speech, and mannerisms, think about what their words mean, and decide whether we want to make further contact. It's pretty cool how our minds work, isn't it?

It's so interesting how emotions and cognition are closely related, even though they're totally different processes! Emotions have this amazing ability to influence our cognitive activity, whether that's helping it or hindering it.

Generally speaking, positive emotions like pleasure and interest are great for our cognitive abilities. They help us to think clearly and make good decisions. On the other hand, negative emotions like worry and depression can make it harder for us to think clearly and make good decisions.

It's also interesting to note that the cognitive facilitation effect of positive emotions depends on the level of emotional intensity. Studies have shown that the intensity of pleasant and interesting emotions is inversely U-shaped with the manual operation effect of the subject. Moderate intensity pleasant emotions achieve the optimal level of cognitive operation, and both too low or too high pleasant arousal are not conducive to cognitive operation.

The different effects of emotions at different levels of arousal on cognitive activity are known as the Yerkes-Dodson Law (A. Welford, 1974: Yerkes-Dodson Law). Isn't that fascinating?

However, there's no one simple rule that applies to all negative emotions and how they affect our thinking. It's not easy to study emotions in adults, so we don't have a lot of clear results in this area yet.

We'd like to share some fascinating insights from Meng Zhaolan's research on how different emotions affect infants' cognitive abilities. (You can find the full details in Meng Zhaolan's 1997 book, "Infant Psychology," pages 347-350.)

We conducted the experiment in a laboratory setting with infants aged 1 year and 4 months to 1 year and 6 months. We used a variety of emotions to see how they affect cognitive processes. In Experiment 1, we induced pleasure and pain. In Experiment 2, we induced interest and fear. In Experiment 3, we induced anger and in Experiment 4, we induced explosive anger and potential anger. Each lasted 3 minutes. After that, we presented the infants with an operational task. This was a problem-solving task involving turning a roundabout lever to retrieve a toy or assemble a robot. The results of the four experiments showed that

(1) Emotions of different natures have different effects on cognitive operations. It's fascinating to see how different emotions impact our thinking! For instance, pleasant emotions seem to boost our cognitive abilities more than painful ones. Similarly, when we're interested in something, we tend to perform better than when we're afraid. And, interestingly, when we're in a neutral state without anger, we're more likely to excel than when we're in a state of anger. Finally, it seems that explosive anger can actually lead to better cognitive performance than potential anger.

(2) It's fascinating to see how different emotional intensities can affect our cognitive processes. Let's take pleasure and explosive anger as examples. When we experience these two emotions, our cognitive functions follow a "U"-shaped curve. This suggests that the lowest and highest levels of emotional intensity may not be as beneficial as a moderate level in achieving optimal performance.

However, when it comes to negative emotions (like pain or fear), we've found that the stronger the emotional activation, the worse the performance tends to be.

(3) How emotions affect the way we think and act. Babies use different strategies in different emotional states.

Let's take the task of obtaining a toy by detour as an example. When infants are happy, they use more effective detour strategies and succeed faster. When they're in pain, they often use straightforward grasping (which they often have difficulty doing) and passively stare, which makes the task take longer.

So, to sum up, the good news is that the positive effect of positive emotions on cognition isn't fixed. It depends on the intensity level of the emotion. And there's no uniform law for the effect of negative emotions on cognition.

Wishing you the best! I hope this is helpful.

Dear questioner, Thank you so much for your question!

After reading your question, I can tell you're feeling a bit confused and upset about your emotions.

1. About having a hard time understanding your own emotions.

It can be really tough to understand our own emotions, right? It's like there's a disconnect between what we think and feel. Sometimes it's hard to even recognize our own emotions.

And sometimes the emotions I show are very different from the emotions I perceive in myself.

It's totally normal to feel this way! We're all born with joy, anger, sorrow, fear, and joy. It's okay if you don't perceive them all at once. This just requires us to get closer to ourselves and understand ourselves in a deeper way in order to understand and see our own ways.

It might be that you've experienced something that's made you feel the need to defend your emotions to protect yourself. Of course, this is only my guess, but I really hope it helps! The real reason probably requires you to grow and learn a bit more, and then be able to stay with your feelings and perceive your emotions.

It's all part of the journey! When it comes to growing up, slow is fast.

2. About feeling nervous.

I can relate to feeling nervous in front of the teacher or when taking exams, or even expressing myself in front of a crowd. It's so hard to realise that others can see us feeling nervous, even though we don't realise it ourselves.

So, when you think back to this scene, can you go back to this situation? If so, let's stay with this feeling of tension for a while, okay?

Then, take a deep breath and allow yourself to feel the emotion behind the tension.

3. About me: I'm feeling a bit down, but I'm trying to smile.

I'd like to share a short video that introduces the Mask Doll. She always wears a perfect smile on her face, but never any other expression. Over time, her smile has become like a mask that grows on her face.

Oh, she's actually feeling pretty sad and uncomfortable under that mask.

It's so important to remember that our emotions aren't good or bad. We all have feelings like fear, anger, sadness, and grief, and they can make us feel really uncomfortable. But we can learn to believe in ourselves and understand that we're the masters of our emotions. We can even learn to control them! When we can do that, they can become our friends and play a positive role in our lives.

The right side of our brain is in charge of our emotions, and they tend to come out pretty quickly. The left side of the brain is where we process things like logic and reason. Simply put, our emotions aren't always under our control. They can be triggered by certain events or situations and expressed without much thought.

So, when we can't name our emotions, our left brains are left a bit in the dark. This can leave us feeling a bit confused, which is totally normal!

So, it's a great idea for the questioner to make use of a little tool like keeping an emotional diary. It's also a good plan to look for some emotional terms that are all about popularizing psychology or taking part in Mr. Li Huan-sheng's emotional training camp. All of this will be really helpful for you to feel your emotions and practice mastering them.

For example, I would name my fear "Little Bodyguard," thanking it for reminding me to be safe. I would also name my sadness "Blue Blue," thanking it for taking me through the loss and back to the present.

And so on!

It just takes time to grow and practice consistently, and before you know it, you'll be less and less bothered by your emotions and have less internal conflict. You'll feel more efficient, focused, and calm naturally!

I really hope these answers help you out! I love you all so much, and I love the world too!

Good day.

It might be helpful to try to understand yourself better. When you feel uncomfortable, it's probably not helpful to judge yourself immediately, as this can lead to feelings of unease, anxiety, and fear. It might be more helpful to start by trying to understand yourself better. Sometimes problems are just a temporary deviation from the normal track caused by a lack of understanding.

It is important to remember that being aware of our emotions is not necessarily a sign of maturity. Rather, it is a way to gain a deeper understanding of ourselves.

How do you feel about yourself? If you like yourself enough, you generally won't think badly of yourself, and you might even give yourself a "five-star rating." However, if you don't particularly like yourself, you might find it challenging to be your own biggest supporter, even if you are good at what you do.

Perhaps it would be helpful to identify where the problem lies.

It could be said that everyone builds their own world in a different way. They have their own unique way of doing things, and they rarely question their actions until they are questioned by others. This can be a good thing, because it may be a sign that they have the ability to think independently. However, there are also cases where they rarely have the opportunity to come into contact with others and receive better advice to adjust themselves.

Ultimately, the answer depends on your individual circumstances. If you feel good, it might seem counterintuitive to then try to detect and adjust your emotions.

However, if there is a discrepancy in emotional communication, it is important to recognize that we can always strive to adjust our expression of emotions. While it is not necessary to be overly anxious about this, it is beneficial to consider ways to bridge the gap.

I would like to make a few humble suggestions for improvement.

[Consider mirror contact as a way to achieve internal and external balance]

Similarly, the nervousness we feel when meeting an important client can be managed by adjusting our posture and expression. When there is no better way to get feedback, we can take a mirror with us to demonstrate our appearance and demeanor, so that we can immediately know where the problem lies and how we should adjust. This method is the fastest to produce results and it is also less likely to throw us off balance emotionally.

It may be helpful to collect feedback and adjust your approach as needed.

One of the most effective ways for an individual to make progress is to identify a solution to the problem at hand. It can be helpful to gather descriptive information about how you currently express emotions in an unnatural way. If you feel it would be beneficial, you can seek advice from friends on how to adjust your approach. Initially, you may receive a wide range of suggestions, but if you take the time to carefully organize the information on a blank piece of paper, you will likely be able to identify the most effective solution. This is because everyone is describing the same underlying issue, but they are expressing it in different ways. (It is recommended to read more books on organization, as the methods are more significant.)

[It would be beneficial to avoid self-deprecation and overreactions, and instead focus on developing oneself in the present.]

When problems arise, they often don't affect us deeply, so they don't have a significant impact. However, when our hearts are unbalanced, we may react in ways that are either overly self-deprecating or extreme, which can be damaging to ourselves. Learning to listen to and understand ourselves through problems can be beneficial. Since problems arise, they often have roots in our inner selves. Identifying these connections can help us focus on what we should be doing at the moment, making us more resilient in life and better equipped to solve problems.

I wish you the best!

Dear questioner,

I'm a ray of sunshine! I'm so grateful to have met you on the Yiyi Psychology platform. I'm sending you a big hug through the screen!

I'm so grateful to the questioner for bringing up this topic! It's so hard to perceive our own emotions. Why is there a mismatch between what we think and how we feel?

It's true that emotions are something we all have in common. They help us to know what we need, what we want, and what we're trying to express. And they have a positive effect on people! I believe that by coming here to communicate with the host, it will bring you a different perspective and a better understanding of our emotions and the meaning behind them.

I'd love to share my thoughts on this topic with you, the questioner, in the hope that they'll be helpful!

I'm here to help!

Let's start by taking a closer look at the situation the questioner described.

I find it tough to really see what I'm feeling inside. And it can be so different from how I show up in the world!

For example, when answering questions in front of the teacher, taking exams, or expressing myself in public, I don't feel nervous, but my behavior shows that I am. It's so interesting how others can see what we're feeling even when we don't realize it ourselves!

Sometimes when I express my opinion on something, I feel like I don't have any emotions and my heart is very calm. But other people listening to me feel like I'm very emotional, in a bad mood, or angry. I guess I just have to work on that!

Sometimes I'm feeling a little down, but when others see my expression, they think I'm smiling happily. It's a bit of a mystery! Why am I smiling when I'm feeling a bit sad? I'm feeling a little scared. It seems like I can't control my expression anymore.

I must admit, I rarely pay attention to my emotions. I often don't realize when I'm feeling something!

From the questioner's narrative, I think we can summarize the following aspects:

[1] When did the situation described by the questioner, "It is difficult for me to perceive my emotions" and "My emotions are inconsistent with my self-perception of emotions," begin?

[2] It's so interesting how others can sense the nervousness of the questioner, but you yourself feel nothing.

[3] Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you feel calm and free of emotions when expressing your opinion on something, but others perceive you as "emotional"?

[4] When the questioner feels bad, but gives the impression of being happy and laughing to others?

In a nutshell, it seems like the questioner might have been brought about by a bit of a mismatch between emotional self-awareness and behavior expression. It's totally normal! A deep pursuit of the reasons behind this may have something to do with our growth experiences from childhood to adulthood.

I'd love to share my own understanding and reflections in light of the situation the questioner is going through.

First, in real life, we often see examples like this.

[1] Let's say someone asks, "How are you feeling now?"

When faced with this question, most of us would probably say something like "pretty good," "okay," or "not so good," or perhaps just "tired."

If you keep asking, you might find that a lot of people can't really explain what they're feeling right now.

Or, could it be that we're just used to answering this way, or that we don't truly perceive our emotions?

[2] It's so important to be able to perceive and identify our emotions, and everyone's ability to do so is vital for our mental health.

In real life, we also find situations where we are unable to perceive our emotions or understand them, which is what is referred to in reality as "difficulty/impediment in expressing emotions." Such situations often stem from the fact that we have "learned" to suffer the consequences of emotional neglect.

It's so common! We can see this symptom in every adult who has suffered emotional neglect. It's something the questioner might want to explore further.

Second, we'll explore emotional awareness and emotional self-awareness.

[1] When it comes to psychology, emotional awareness is basically just a way of being aware of your own emotions in the moment. For example,

How are you feeling right now? Are you happy, or are you feeling a little blue?

Anger and/or fear? It's so important to be able to accurately perceive our emotions.

It's so important to start with emotional awareness. If you can't do this, it can be really hard to start managing your emotions.

[2] I'd love for you to think about the following: Do you ever pay attention to your true feelings?

I'm sure you're not trying to suppress your emotions or deceive yourself by looking at things rationally.

I'm sure we've all been there: do we avoid those negative emotions?

It's a common problem, isn't it? We try to think rationally, but that makes it really hard to perceive our emotions. Our family, school, and social education have taught us to think this way, and it's actually suppressing our emotions. This approach makes us feel worse and worse, and we have to force ourselves to say that it's okay.

[3] The first step in managing your emotions is emotional self-awareness. It's okay if you don't know how to manage your emotions yet! We all have to start somewhere.

It's so common to meet people in the modern world who don't know how to tune in to their emotions.

And finally, how can we better perceive our emotions?

[1] Take some time to learn how to tune in to your inner world. When you do this, you'll be able to understand yourself better. This is called feeling, experiencing, or paying attention.

I think we can all relate to this! It's like a certain sentence can feel like a kind word when you're in a good mood and then suddenly become a bad word when you're in a bad mood.

[2] Our five senses help us to perceive and identify our subjective feelings.

Usually, we use our five senses to find out how we are feeling subjectively.

Because every emotion is associated with a certain physical reaction. For example, one of the most common situations is when a person clenches their hands for no reason. This is your body's way of telling you that you're about to lose your temper and either slam your hands on the table or hit someone.

Our bodies are so wise! They give us clues about how we're feeling, and they're always there to help us.

I remember reading Wu Zhihong's wonderful book, "The Body Knows the Answer." It really made me think about how our bodies react to any emotion. It's so true that just like the questioner, you may have been noticed by others that you are "nervous," but you don't know it yourself.

[3] It's so common to suppress our emotions. Sometimes we even try to control or hide them, and that's something the questioner is going through right now. It's so important to talk about it and work through it together.

For example, after the death of a loved one, even if you are still in a state of shock, you have to continue studying or working. Another situation is not deliberately suppressing but ignoring emotions, for example, by keeping yourself busy and focusing on other things.

It's so important to be aware that if we keep suppressing our emotions, it can make it harder for us to express and recognize them.

If you had to suppress your emotions for a long time since childhood because of family issues, you might lose your emotional sensitivity as you grow up. This can make it hard to feel things deeply, which can lead to an emotionally numb or blank life.

It's good to know that if we've been ignoring or suppressing our emotions, we can still find out by looking out for certain signs. For instance, if we're feeling anxious or depressed, it's a good idea to check in with ourselves to see if there's something we need to address.

[4] The most common ones are body scanning and emotion identification.

Our bodies often show us what we're feeling. We might say we're "heartbroken," "headache," or "in pain."

It's okay if your body is tense and your mind is racing. We've all been there! But it can make it really hard to understand what your body is feeling in the moment. So, let's take a moment to relax.

Take some time for yourself! Spend 5-10 minutes doing some pre-work like muscle relaxation, meditation, or other relaxation techniques to calm yourself down.

It can be really helpful to ask yourself questions like "What am I feeling right now?" or "What are my main questions and concerns right now?"

Let's focus on the part of the body where emotions like anger, fear, and sadness usually arise. This is usually the heart area or the internal organs (stomach/diaphragm), but it can also be higher or lower parts of the body.

④ Take a deep breath and just wait and feel whatever you can feel in the physical location of the emotion. Don't analyze or judge what emotion it is. Just be a quiet observer and allow yourself to feel all the emotions and moods that are about to surface. Wait until something happens.

[5] Once you've taken a moment to notice your emotions, you can help to make them more concrete by answering the following questions: for example,

Let's start by asking ourselves, which part of the body is feeling it?

I'd love to know how much this feeling feels like for you.

Hey there! I just wanted to ask, what shape is this feeling?

If this feeling had a color, what color would it be?

I'd love to hear what you feel when you're angry about the questions above.

It's so important to let go of those negative emotions that have built up inside you. If you don't, they can manifest themselves as anxiety, depression, or other physical symptoms that will damage your health.

There are so many ways to release emotions! You can talk about them, write about them, or even draw them.

In summary, I really hope my answer helps! I'm sending lots of love and prayers for you to find clarity and peace.

Sending you lots of love and blessings!

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I'm a person of one heart and sunshine, and I love the world and all of you! ??

People are amazing creatures with so many emotions and defense mechanisms! When you're having trouble perceiving your emotions, it's also helpful to be aware of "emotional granularity." This concept helps us understand how our emotions are made up of smaller parts.

If you rarely acknowledge your emotions, you may find it difficult to make improvements at the emotional level. But don't worry! There's plenty you can do to start recognizing and understanding your emotions. It's possible that the inconsistency between your perception and your emotions may be a kind of denial or repression. But there's no need to fret! These things can be overcome with a little effort and the right tools.

Guess what! You can also suppress and deny your emotions. Why? Well, we all face all kinds of situations, and sometimes we just can't expose ourselves. If we expose too much, we might disappoint others. But don't worry, there's an easy fix!

If you're having trouble perceiving your emotions, it might be because you don't think about them very often. Have you been neglecting yourself in some ways? If so, that's okay! We all do it from time to time. But it's important to recognize when we're doing it and make a conscious effort to change. You may not feel nervous, but your behavior is already very obvious.

It's important to remember that perceiving whether you are nervous and whether you act on it are two different concepts. This means that there are actually boundaries between perception, emotions, and behavior. So, when you're trying to figure out whether you're really nervous, you just need to analyze each specific situation. And if you feel like you cannot control your emotions, you can always try meditating to calm yourself down! I highly recommend that you seek psychological counseling to understand your inner self. Good luck!

ZQ?