I want to extend my sincere gratitude to Sunayna Iqbal for inviting me to contribute to Wire, the newsletter of the University of West London. This platform reaches out to students who are at crucial crossroads in their careers, education, and other life choices. In the article, I delve into the concept of emotions, particularly the idea that emotions are forms of energy in motion, or "e-motion." We explore the origins of two powerful emotions: anger and sadness. It's essential to understand that there are no right or wrong emotions; every emotion we experience is valid. However, how we choose to channel and express these emotions can have significant consequences for ourselves, others, and our environment. By developing the ability to recognize, understand, and label our emotions, we gain more control over how we express and regulate them. I describe a pyramid model for emotions, with anger at the top. Beneath anger, we often find layers of sadness, grief, loss, violation, humiliation, or a sense of isolation. Further down at the base of the pyramid, we encounter anxiety. When our surroundings become unpredictable, uncertain, and unclear, our brain signals a threat, and the first set of anxieties tell us, "We don't know what to do," making us feel out of control. Then, the second set of anxieties join in, whispering that we are going to fail, make a mistake, or be judged for our actions. They insist, "No, we can't do this," leading to strong feelings of being ill-equipped to face a person or situation. Now that we understand where anger and sadness originate, we must meet them within ourselves and in others with compassion. We should sit down with these emotions, gain clarity on what they feel they don't know about a person or situation, and ask for help and support if they continue to feel ill-equipped. Seeking help is an act of taking responsibility for our emotions. In the journey of making lived experiences matter, it's vital to navigate our emotions with empathy and understanding. By doing so, we can support ourselves and others on a path of growth and emotional well-being. #EmotionalIntelligence
