Madison Burton

6/18/19 SP 120
Emotions: Feeling,Thinking, and Communicating

“It's impossible to talk about communication without acknowledging the importance of

emotions.” Emotions are a key foundation of human life, and with them comes a myriad of experiences.
There are many reasons in which individuals choose to not discuss their emotions; they instead try to
conceal them, reinforcing an illusion that the emotions will just disappear. There are many reasons in
which one would attempt to hide their emotions. These include, but are not limited to, gender, ethnicity,
culture/background, personality, social media, and mood.
Physical and emotional states go hand in hand. Have you ever noticed that when you are nervous
or excited your knees start to quake? Or maybe when you cry as an effect of happiness or sadness? Maybe
you’ve been embarrassed in class and your cheeks started burning? Increased heart rate, head pounding,
and trouble breathing can be side effects of anxiety and/or panic attack. All of these are examples of
physical changes your body experiences when emotions spike.
“The mind plays an important role in determining emotional states.” It is important to keep in
mind that it is healthy to properly recognize your emotions. This allows room for meaningful
communication and personal growth. In order to properly recognize one’s emotions, it is essential to have
a clear emotional vocabulary. When one is asked how they are feeling, it is common to reply with surface
level words, such as “good” or “okay.” Verbal communication is a vital (and very powerful) part of
communication. To properly express your feelings, don’t rely on a small vocabulary. There are many
specific words for whatever one is feeling; one just has to choose the right word to more effectively
express themselves.
It is also important to become more self-aware and to “consider when and where to express your
feelings.” One might want to share multiple feelings, as when sharing just one feeling can improperly
express what they are experiencing. In most situations, one most likely experiences a variety of mixed
emotions which therefore, can make them harder to express. Be direct with your words and minimize
confusion in your communication. Reflect upon what you are feeling and ask yourself questions to better
understand what you are experiencing. It is vital to understand what role emotions play in your
communication and the communication of others around you.
As for me, it is common for my emotions to spiral very quickly and my stress get out of control.
It is very helpful to know how to properly express my feelings to minimize miscommunication with
others. I deal with anxiety and, as with everyone, it is very important to know how to properly articulate
my feelings before they spiral even more. Just getting ready to get out the door for my early morning
seminary class, can cause stress and it’s easy for me to get frustrated instead of explaining what’s really
going on internally for me. It is very common for me to shut down, so I have to put more effort into
advocating for myself. My teachers at New Tech High make it clear to me that they know that I am a
hard-worker, but that sometimes I spin my wheels in the wrong direction and focus twice as hard on the
wrong thing. As I gain more experience and understanding, I learn to more effectively communicate
where I am at in the moment to both my teachers and family. I have already grown a ton since even just
the beginning of this past school year, and I look forward to strengthening my communication skills even
more.