Un-Labeling Emotions as ‘Good’ or ‘Bad’

Yaniz, Mairi, Becky
 

The emotions we label as negative are actually neither good nor bad; they are a part of life and being a human with a full range of emotions. According to Tracy Kennedy:
“We need to provide a space to allow that life is going to be difficult, challenging and incredibly hard sometimes, which leads to uncomfortable or negative emotions. We need to learn to acknowledge, embrace, and understand what those emotions are trying to tell us. We need to learn the power and value of these emotions.”
What we consider as negative emotions is typically those emotions that make us feel badly or uncomfortable. Negative emotions are a part of a spectrum of feelings such as those found in the wheel of emotions created by Dr. Plutchik. 

The wheel shows degrees and relationships among these emotions.

While negative emotions feel bad, there are reasons why they are not all that bad because they help us realize when we need to make changes in our lives. Tracy Kennedy describes 7 reasons why negative emotions aren’t all that negative:

Negative emotions are a natural and unavoidable part of life as they help us cope with many everyday situations and challenges. Negative emotions act as a warning sign that something is not working for us and they help us identify areas in our life that need improvement.
“Negative emotions create a fire in your belly- they motivate you to be productive, solve problems, stand up for what you believe in, gain back your personal power and make changes that propel you- or maybe even society- in a different direction.”

For humans to live wholeheartedly we have to express our full range of emotions. Hiding or ignoring our emotions can lead to physical and emotional consequences whereas feeling our emotions allows us to release the feeling and move forward.
 

When we allow the feelings to arise and persist, they will pass. Grasping, clinging and pushing them down will always lead to unhappiness. By allowing yourself to feel everything you need to feel, you learn how to cope and build your toolbox of coping strategies. Learning effective coping skills allows you to feel stronger and more capable to deal with emotions in the future.
Experiencing some level of negative emotions is normal but when they become ongoing or excessive these emotions can be a signal that something much deeper needs to be addressed. We must feel the emotions. Listen to them. Acknowledge, honor, accept them. Seek to understand what they are trying to tell us, so we can harness them to live our best lives.

References:
Kennedy T. (2021). Why Negative Emotions Aren’t Bad (And How to Handle Them). Life Hack. https://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/how-handle-negative-emotions.html