HOW THESE 25 NEGATIVE EMOTIONS ARE THE WORST FOR OUR MENTAL HEALTH
While reading the classic ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ which I will elaborate on in another blog, I realized how negative emotions can be bad for our mental health. As the book was all about how negative emotions can pull one down, I knew I had to write on this topic first.
Negative emotions are short-term reactions to generally normal events that happen in our lives. These emotions could also develop from other less talked about issues like broken dreams, difficult childhood, abusive relationships, poor upbringing, bad work culture, negative home environment, etc. Negative emotions are natural but they can prove to be harmful depending on the way we decide to handle them.
Anger, Anxiety, Annoyance, Boredom, Contempt, Disgust, Disappointment, Depression, Despair, Doubt, Embarrassment, Envy, Emotional insecurity, Fear, Frustration, Guilt, Hostility, Hate, Hurt, Jealousy, Loneliness, Pride, Shame, Sadness, Upset.
If poorly managed, ANGER is said to have the WORST impact on our mental health. Anger can give birth to other negative emotions like guilt, pride, hate, disgust, contempt, hostility, etc. It can also have a negative effect on the people around you, your relationships and your life decisions.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio
Denial. Substance use. Bullying. Withdrawal. Self-harm. Choosing to deal with negative emotions in above mentioned manners may only lead to more problems in the long run.
Let’s look at it with an example: Smoking is something that I detest but most of the people I love, SMOKE (rolling eyes emoji needed here)! I get hurt and angry depending on my relationship with them. I got upset even when I found out that Shah Rukh Khan smokes. Yeah! I know you’re rolling your eyes now! But I did. And it still hurts every time I see a person I like, smoking. But if I brood over my negative emotions (hurt and anger) and try to change the person in vain or do things to teach them a lesson, it will only disappoint or frustrate me and eventually strain my relationship with them, won’t it?
At the top of my list, I would say GOSSIP is one of the main actions that can give rise to various negative emotions like envy, jealousy, doubt, etc. BULLYING or GASLIGHTING are other actions that allow the victims to harbour feelings like annoyance, embarrassment, emotional insecurity, helplessness, etc. Can you see the vicious circle here?
Photo by Yan Krukau
I used to be an extremely emotional person. If a friend wouldn’t speak to me for no fault of mine, I’d get sad. If people behaved differently, I’d find myself confused, depressed and let down. I would let myself think about it all the time. Negative emotions surround us with negativity. They eventually create a bubble around us where we may find ourselves withdrawn, disliked, overly conscious, etc. This in turn tends to diminish our self-confidence, self-esteem and general outlook on life.
Negative emotions, like sadness, shame, boredom, loneliness, etc., can easily kill our zest to live, if we allow them to affect us. Also, negative feelings like anxiety, depression, fear, etc. create stress which is said to upset our hormonal balance, the happiness chemical in our brain and our immune system. Stress can also worsen conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, asthma, gastrointestinal issues, etc. Chronic stress and other illnesses may also lead to a decreased lifespan.
Negative emotions are like a contagious disease. If we don’t cure it on time, it will damage our mind, body and soul. An example: An acquaintance fostered all the possible negative emotions like hatred, jealousy, envy, loneliness, sadness, depression, hostility, contempt, and more. Due to this, not only did she manage to spread a negative aura around her, many of us did not even like the way we would act around her. We would try countering her negative vibe with some negative action. We would try to avoid certain things which would eventually annoy her even more. We did not understand why we behaved that way because we knew, for sure, that we were not that type. But then, by the time we matured into normal human beings and understood negative emotions more closely, she left the neighbourhood due to chronic illnesses.
Negative emotions are natural but it depends on us how we choose to express them. Here are some ways we can deal with our negative emotions without letting them affect us or our mental health.
Firstly, we need to accept that the feelings that we have are negative and need to be handled with care. We need to be mindful of what we are experiencing at that moment and ascertain that only we can do something about it. Negative emotions need to be dealt with the right way. But first, we need to feel it and accept that we are feeling it.
The most important thing is to breathe, relax and de-stress while trying not to instantly react to every feeling you feel. Try sleeping, reading or talking to a sensible friend or expert. Yoga is an activity that helps many relax.
Exercising can help deal with strong negative emotions. Regular running, swimming, walking, yoga and meditation are some of the activities that are said to help with negative emotions like irritation and anger.
The best thing to do while you’re relaxing or exercising is to understand why you are undergoing these emotions. Could it be stress, annoying people around you, work deadlines, in-laws, demanding kids, etc.? Try and find the root cause of your negative emotion.
Solving doesn’t only mean solving a problem that is stressing you out. Here we are also trying to find a way to not encourage our negative feelings due to the stress. Going backward and trying to process things before I felt the negative emotions helped me understand myself better. It helped me maturely deal with my emotions. This helped me handle myself in the right way if I ever felt that negative emotion again. I found that the best solution to discourage negative emotions is to stop overthinking. For example: I try to ignore and not overthink when my loved ones smoke.
I have experienced ALL the negative emotions mentioned above. And I could not handle them well. It was only after I experienced PPD, and thought that giving birth meant my life was coming to an end, was when I began trying to do things right, for myself and my mental health. I knocked some sense into my head and told myself that only I can control my negative emotions; NO ONE ELSE. Only I can let myself be sane; despite the people and circumstances around me.
Now, I don’t encourage my negative emotions anymore. I feel good because instead of complaining and sulking, I can help others come out of their negative bubbles, too. But then, of course, you can only help those who are willing to help themselves.
To conclude, I have to say that I’m not emotionless. I do have feelings, and as a mom FEAR is something that remains constant. But I do try my best not to let my negative emotions get the better of me. I try to control them as best I can for internal peace.
How have you been managing your negative emotions lately?
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62 Comments
Very sensible advice Cindy. I’m glad you overcame your PPD and are now guiding people on the right path.
Nice post
Nice read. After a lot of trial and errors, I actually have learnt to train my mind to think positive this year.
Thanks Cindy… It was definitely an interesting article. I would like to see how many positive emotions can be used to counterattack these 25 negative emotions…
Hey Orson, Perhaps positive emotions cannot be used to counterattack their negative counterparts, but they surely help hide them if necessary.
I never recognized that we, humans have this vast array of emotions! Wow, 25 emotions sound very intriguing when it comes to acknowledging them individually or sometimes together with multiple emotions at once. Seriously, if we can control our emotional quotient properly then our well-being will be uplifted manifold. Thanks for writing this informative post, Cindy. Thank you so much for joining us in the blog hop and making it a success. Grateful for your contribution and participation in the wellness hour blog hop. Means a lot. Much gratitude.
My pleasure, Swarnali!
This is really eye opening and something that will stay with me for a while. We do give attention to the positives but forget about the negative indeed
So interesting that you have explained all the negative emotions well. Only if we can identify the emotions we are going through, it would be good. Its lovely how you have mentioned how to manage and overcome the negative emotions too.
All my life I have tried to steer away from negative emotions but the challenges I have had to face it has not been easy. I know nothing is easy but I am on the way there. Lots of soul-searching and focus on myself.
All the best, Harjeet! Thanks for visiting again!
Negative emotions is something we all experience in different forms. Personally, like you said being a mother Fear is a part it is the similar case with me. It’s something I can’t shed off. Sometimes negative emotions of people towards me give me a lot of stress and anxiety. It’s this area which I have been trying to work upon. Hope I get there.
All the best, Manisha!
As someone who has a tendency to self-sabotage and bottle up emotions, this post has been a very helpful one indeed
I’m glad, Trinanjana!
I usually remain calm and then react. I have learnt to do this lately and things have been smooth since.
That’s awesome, Sadvika!
Love your post, Cindy. Processing anger is difficult because it is often easier to hold on to it than letting it go. I am quite an emotional person too and it took me some hard knocks to develop a thicker skin.
Yeah, life teaches us eventually. Thanks, Ritu!
Firstly I didn’t know there were 25. But I do know that anger gives rise to many among what you’ve listed. True that we should try to overcome them so that it’s doens’t cause much after effects. I also like how we could deal with them that is mentioned here.
Thanks, Sindhu!
A post that is really intriguing and pertinent. We are somewhat affected by numerous bad emotions that need to be checked thanks to social media. Our journey of self-discovery and emotional management has a strong resonance. Indeed, powerful techniques include acceptance, relaxation, exercise, processing, and solution-finding. But when the will to free ourselves of them arises from within, we may undoubtedly start the road.
Cindy as usual your post means great benefits and also covers every topic in detail. Emotions are what make us human and having to experience them but allowing ourselves not to get sad or depressed because of negative emotions is the key to mental health.
Thanks, Sivaranjini!
We all generally feel these negative emotions every time. We are human and I guess we all know what to do and what to not. You write so well about negative emotions, studied well 😊 And I like the simple tips you provide to cope up with the emotions. Though it look simple but hard to follow. Will try to overcome.
All the best, Neeta!!
It’s not easy to avoid negative emotions but we can choose how to express them. Unaddressed negative emotions spread like an illness, harming our mind, body, and soul. Timely healing is essential to safeguard our well-being.
I agree with you. Denying a negative emotion is the worst way. We need to accept with it and then move on with it. Otherwise it will keep cropping up again and again.
So true, Madhu!
Having negative emotions is common but how can we control it is the key. For me off lately, it’s my anger but now I am conscious and trying my best to control it. I am still in the process but lot of positive change has come within me.
Yes, it’s difficult but not impossible. All the best, Debidutta!
I dump them as soon as they come dear because I have learned the hard way that they can take a toll on you like nothing else in no time, I loved your in-depth analysis
That’s great, Roma!
Very well written Cindy. Every human feels all these emotions at one time or the other… some understand that they are negative n help themselves to grow out of them while others are ignorant n choose to make it a part of themselves. During the delta wave of covid, I had massive anxiety. I used to do deep breathing all the time. Thankfully it didn’t stay🤞
Glad you’re all okay now, Kaveri! Keep it up!
A very good one, and what you have listed are absolutely true. Dealing with negative emotions is not easy, trust me with all the positivity in mind you need to be surrounded with positive people who will help you get out of the worst.
We cannot depend on people around us but yes it does help a lot!
Negative emotions go a long way in ruining a normal person’s mental health. Anger does lead to many other emotions that are just as bad and can turn on us more than others. You so rightly pointed out that gossip can be one of the major factors that gives rise to such emotions. These only multiply when we aren’t at peace with ourselves and worsen the situation. Dealing with them and moving on is the only way to control them.
Reading this blog post feels like having an earnest conversation with a friend who’s genuinely concerned about your well-being. Your post masterfully dissects the impact of negative emotions on mental health. It’s alarming how emotions we often brush off can actually impact us profoundly. I’ve seen firsthand how unchecked anger can unravel into a cascade of other negative feelings, clouding our judgment, relationships, and choices. It’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of our emotions and how they can set off a chain reaction. Your emphasis on handling them appropriately is spot on.
Thank you, Felicia!
These are very strong emotions that impact our mental health which is nicely broken down and explained. Definitely these are toxic emotions and knowing how to handle them is very important. Very useful article indeed.
Thank you, Karen!
Dealing with negativity is the crux to happiness. And taking time out for yourself is essential
Loved your breakdown of those tough emotions! Your piece sheds light on how these feelings impact our mental well-being. Informative and relatable, it offers valuable insights for navigating through challenging times.
A very interesting post on a very relevant subject. Thanks to social media, we are to an extent, impacted by many negative emotions that need to be checked. Of course, you have provided a detailed list of these negative emotions and how to get rid of them, but it not easy. Yet when the feeling to get rid of them comes from within, we can surely embark on the journey.
When we do CBT, NLP, etc, identifying automatic negative thoughts is important. Once we identify them changing them is easy. You have given an exhaustive account of the negative thoughts as well as how to deal with them. Also, the tips you have shared are the core of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)The post in itself is like a session.
Thanks, Rakhi. Hope it helps a lot of people handle their emotions!
Your insightful post brilliantly highlights the impact of negative emotions on our mental health and relationships. Your journey of self-discovery and managing emotions resonates deeply. Acceptance, relaxation, exercise, processing, and finding solutions are indeed powerful tools. Thanks for sharing your wisdom on handling negative emotions for a healthier, happier life. 🌟 #EmotionalWellness
You’re welcome, Neerja! Do forward it to people you think would benefit from this post.
I am afraid It’s not so easy, Cindy. It is not just the negative emotions. My postpartum became chronic and clinical. There are neurotransmitters and other enzymes that are efficient and play havoc. For me it is not situational or social depression, it is clinical just like you have a fever. I have been on medications for nearly 25 years now. Even. right now I m going through a depressive episode and I know all that happens and know it is not permanent but when the panic starts it is a living hell.
Sorry to hear that, Harjeet. I hope you feel better soon.
Negative emotions sometime, somewhere or other knock our life and we cant deny it. What matters the most in such situation is how to come out of it without causing any harm to self or anyone else . The tips that you mentioned here to overcome or manage situations when you are under the pressure of negative emotions are really helpful. The fact is that we all need to pass through these negative emotions as its life … when there is good there will also be bad… a life never goes at same pace… this understanding towards life will surely help to overcome negative emotions for sure.
I think since the time of pandemic, we all had faced various negative emotions time to time. Personally, I regularly keep a check on my emotional state and try to resolve promptly, if had any negative emotions. mediation works best for me. taking out 5-10 minutes of time during our busy day does wonder for our mental and emotional health.
That’s great, Surbhi!
You have identified 25 negative emotions, that affect us negatively. I have seen guilt is one emotions that leads to many other negative actions and thoughts including jealousy not just for outsiders but towards people within family too.
I completely agree that negative emotions are the most toxic ones. They harm you in innumerable ways and you have listed them out nicely. I used to have tremendous anger issues and I really worked on it. It’s taken me years to let go, but I am so relieved that I have learned the ability to process my emotions in a more positive way. The power of letting go, visualisation, helped me a lot. Now, when I feel angry, I realise that I harm myself more and let go, dissolve for nothing is forever.
That’s great, Ambica!
Negativity in general ain’t good for anyone. It gets crucial with mental health as it is something we can’t see and often easy to disguise with flowery words for others not to find out. The points you’ve highlighted on how to deal with all those 25 negative emotions are really true and helpful. It’s a great source of knowing especially for those having a hard time reaching out for help from others.
Your post sheds light on a crucial topic that often goes unnoticed – the impact of negative emotions on our mental health. It’s eye-opening to see the comprehensive list of 25 emotions and their potential harm when not handled properly. Understanding and addressing these emotions can lead us towards a healthier and more positive mindset.
Negative emotions can be so detrimental to someone’s health! We all experience them at some point of life, but should be conscious enough to nip them at the bud itself. While sadness and stress are most of the times out of our control, we should strive our very best to get rid of anger and jealousy. And God forgive the gaslighters!
Seriously, Mandira!!
I think it is human to feel all these negative emotions, but what can make us humane and better is how we deal with them and how we choose to express them and act on them.