It is often easy to label negative emotions as bad. But, the truth is, feelings are not good or bad. They are simply different depending on how we act. For instance, we often label anger as bad because some people choose to act out when mad. But, there are plenty of examples where anger was used to help others and lead to positive change. So, anger is not bad if we use it constructively.

Positive emotions are healthy to experience

Research has shown that positive emotions are important for our overall well-being. They encourage us to expand our thinking and build enduring psychological resources. They also initiate upward spirals toward enhanced emotional well-being and the likelihood of experiencing more positive emotions in the future. Research has shown that depressive mood causes a downward spiral, leading to narrowed, pessimistic thinking and ultimately to clinical depression. A positive emotion can also broaden our thinking and help us better deal with challenges in our life.

Negative emotions are unhealthy to experience

While it may seem that negative emotions are not healthy to experience, there is actually some good news to these feelings, too. Studies have shown that negative emotions can contribute to our overall well-being. The key is to learn how to manage these emotions. For example, if you feel angry, it's a sign that you may be in danger. If you feel anger for a long time, it may contribute to the occurrence of cancer.

Meta-emotions

A common mistake people make when it comes to emotions is labeling them as bad. In reality, these feelings can either be bad or good, depending on how we experience them. A common example of a bad emotion is guilt about a past action. This kind of emotion falls into the category of negative-negative, also known as NN. The good news is that most of the time, a negative-negative emotion does not mean that it is bad.

Positive emotions

Embracing negative emotions is an effective counterbalance to avoiding them. Many studies have shown that the opposite of embracing negative emotions is a healthy balance of good and bad feelings. Many different strategies are used to process negative emotions and help counterbalance uncomfortable feelings. One specific group of approaches is called TEARS of HOPE. This group of techniques helps people cope with a wide variety of emotional situations, and can help you develop healthy coping mechanisms.

Guilt

Getting rid of your guilt is possible if you can think of it in a different way. You should try not to think about it in absolute terms. After all, mistakes are actions, not character traits. There is no right way to do something in life, so figuring out a way to stop feeling guilty may require you to change your perspective on a past action. To help yourself deal with guilt, it is important to identify and understand the causes of your feelings of shame.

Shame

While we often use the terms shame and guilt interchangeably, there is a difference between the two. For example, shame is more powerful than guilt. Guilt is triggered by an unintentional moral violation, while shame is motivated by fear of rejection. Both emotions are powerful, and we should know how to separate them. Read on to learn more about these emotions and how they can negatively affect our relationships.