114: Emotional Health (Part 1)
[b]اذا لم تستحي فاصنع ما شئت[/b]
[i]If you have no sense of emotional consciousness, then you do as you please.[/i]
[Statement of Jesus/’Isa as reported by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them)]
We can only have a better world if we have improved individuals and we can only have better individuals if each of us commit to improve ourselves. If we take care of our infrastructure, we improve our lives and enhance our potential to have a positive impact on the world around us. If we want to live happy and fulfilling lives, it's very important to tend to our personal infrastructure: the body, the mind, the heart and the soul.
[b]Awareness of Mental States[/b]
Every single one of us constantly experiences some form of mental states which inevitably influence the way we perceive the world and how we react. These mental states are part of the consciousness that involves feeling and directly affects our moods and attitudes, our thoughts and our actions. These mental states are referred to as emotions.
[b]Emotions are …[/b]
Emotions are energy experiences we have in common. We all experience the same basic emotions--when we discuss fear or anger or sadness or joy, we all know exactly what we are talking about. We all understand what it means to grieve a deep loss, or celebrate a happy occasion. Emotions are our shared experiences, a common language that allows us to relate to and accept each other. They are the pathways that connect us as humans.
Basic Emotions
Emotions are survival instincts, if we did not have certain feelings we would not know how to react. Emotions motivate our behavior and are powerful indicators of our inner nature
There are 4 basic emotions (some add a 5th ) ...[list][*] Sad (grief) = unpleasant visceral feeling of sorrow, unhappiness, [/*][*] Mad (anger) = unpleasant feeling of annoyance, indignation or rage.[/*][*]Glad (joy) = pleasant instinctive feeling of contentment, well-being, or joy.[/*][*]Scared (fear) = unpleasant feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or dread[/*][*] Bad (guilt) = guilt is a negative emotional state in which one experiences regret at having done something one believes one should not have done. It is a sense of remorse for thoughts, feelings, or attitudes that were or are negative, uncomplimentary, or non-accepting concerning one’s self or others. [/*]
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[b]Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Wisdom & Emotional Health[/b]
Dealing effectively with emotions requires Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Wisdom leading to Emotional Health
A. Emotional Intelligence is …[list][*] he ability to recognize emotions (your own emotions as well other [/*][*] the way you deal with emotions (your own emotions and how you react to[/*][/list]
Emotional Intelligence encompass a set of social and emotional skills that include …
[list][*] self-awareness => ability to recognize feelings and its consequences, and [/*][*]self-regulation => ability to manage strong emotions[/*][*]self-confidence => trusting one’s ability to do what needs to be done[/*][*] self-motivation => ability to actively pursue a goal with a personal [/*][*] self-esteem => the value you attach to yourself based on your perception [/*][*] empathy => ability to appreciate how others feel and conveying that [/*][/list]
B. Emotional Wisdom is ...[list][*]understanding our emotions and dealing with them effectively[/*][*]equanimity = the capacity to experience the inescapable ups and downs of life without being thrown into uncontrollable emotional states. The Qur'an [22:11][89:15-16] emphasizes the importance of maintaining a balanced disposition in times of celebration and in times of tribulation.[/*][/list]
Exercising Emotions
There are three basic ways we could exercise our emotions:
1. Expressing Emotion ~ we use words that indicate our feeling (I feel hurt/angry)
2. Acting ON Emotions ~ we respond to our feeling (cry, talk with someone …)
3. Acting OUT Emotions ~ we give physical vent to our feeling (scream, hit …)
[b]Need for Emotional Health[/b][list][*]Emotional health is the ability to express all emotions appropriately. Those who have this ability are surely mentally healthy.[/*]
[*]Being emotionally stuck is often the best indicator of a lack of emotional health. One might be stuck in depression or stress, jammed in anger at one’s regular targets, trapped in obsessive fears, or imprisoned in continuous guilt or shame. This obviously suggest that some of us lack emotional health much of the time.[/*][*]The Prophetic saying لا يستقيم ايمان عبد حتى يستقيم قلبه “none of your faith will be correct unless your heart is correct” may equally be a reference to personal sincerity as well as inner emotions that dictate our lives.[/*]
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