Emotion, Stress, and Health: Crash Course Psychology #26

The Power of Emotions

In this section, we learn about the impact of emotions on our bodies and health. Positive emotions tend to lead to longer and more fulfilling lives, while negative emotions can be closely related to stress which can have harmful effects.

Understanding Emotions

• Facial expressions are culturally universal and can communicate basic emotions such as happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, fear, and surprise.

• Our expressions don't just communicate emotions but can also help regulate them. For example, smiling broadly can lift your mood even if you aren't happy.

• There are ten distinct basic human emotions present from infancy on: joy, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, shame, fear, guilt and interest or excitement.

Cultural Differences in Expressing Emotions

• Different cultures express emotions through particular gestures that are far from universal. For example in the United States a peace sign is common but flipping it around in the UK is considered rude.

• Some people are better at reading your emotions than others; introverts are usually better at interpreting people's feelings while extroverts are often better at expressing them.

The Impact of Emotions on Health

• Positive outlook on life tends to lead to longer and more fulfilling lives than their mean and grumpy neighbors.

• Fear anger and other difficult emotions when not handled properly can lead to stress which is so powerful that it can straight up kill you in any number of ways given the right opportunity.

The Two-Dimensional Scale of Emotions

This section discusses how emotions can be categorized into two dimensions, positive versus negative and high arousal versus low arousal.

Emotions on a 2-Dimensional Scale

• Emotions can be categorized into two dimensions, positive versus negative and high arousal versus low arousal.

• Every emotion can fall in degrees on this 2-dimensional scale.

• Being terrified means you're more frightened than if you're just scared, just as being enraged is a more extreme form of anger than simply being mad.

Physical Effects of Emotions

This section discusses the physical effects of emotions on our bodies and how different emotions affect our health and well-being.

Effects of Happiness, Anger, and Depression

• Happiness is helpful while chronic anger or depression makes us vulnerable to all kinds of problems with health and well-being.

• When we're angry or sad, we often overestimate the duration of our bad moods and underestimate our capacity to adapt and bounce back from traumas.

• Abused children have a high risk of chronic disease, while people suffering from PTSD experience higher rates of digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and infectious diseases.

Defining Stress

This section defines stress as the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events that we view as challenging or threatening.

What is Stress?

• Psychologists define stress as the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, or stressors, that we view as challenging or threatening.

• Stress isn't technically an emotion; it's more of a reaction to a disturbing or disruptive stimulus.

• Stress can be caused by catastrophes, significant life changes, and everyday inconveniences.

The Benefits and Risks of Stress

This section discusses how moderate stress can be beneficial while chronic stress can have negative effects on our bodies and minds.

The Positive Effects of Moderate Stress

• A bit of short-lived stress can actually be a good thing. It can make you active and alert when you need to be.

• Moderate stress can kick the immune system into action to do things like heal wounds and fight infections.

The Negative Effects of Chronic Stress

• Chronic stress can really wreck a body and mind.

• Many basic functions in our bodies are regulated by the autonomic nervous system, which interacts with the enteric nervous system that helps regulate gastrointestinal functioning. This brain-gut connection explains how stress causes digestive problems.

The Effects of Stress on the Body

This section discusses how stress affects the body, particularly the liver and heart. It also explores the link between negative emotional states and chronic stress.

Stress and Liver Function

• When stressed, blood flow is redirected away from organs like the liver.

• The liver's job is to remove fat and cholesterol from the blood.

• A stressed liver can't filter properly, leading to extra fat and cholesterol circulating in the blood.

Stress and Heart Health

• One study found that tax accountants had increased cholesterol levels and clotting rates before tax day due to stress.

• Pessimism and depression are close relatives to stress when it comes to their effects on heart disease.

• Optimistic people tend to live longer than pessimistic people.

Negative Emotional States and Chronic Stress

• Chronic negative emotional states like depression have been linked to increases in certain inflammatory proteins released by the immune system in response to stress.

• Neglecting health or not taking medication when feeling blue may also contribute to negative health outcomes.

How Chronic Stress Can Damage Biological Systems

This section explains how chronic stress can damage biological systems, including the nervous system.

Effects of Chronic Stress on Nervous System Functioning

• Chronic stress can lead to overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response).

• Over time, this can cause wear and tear on biological systems, leading to damage.

Other Biological Factors Contributing to Negative Health Outcomes

• Social factors like isolation caused by depression may prevent others from helping you out.

• Lifestyle or behavioral factors like neglecting your health may also contribute.

Conclusion: Managing Emotions for Better Health

This section concludes with advice for managing emotions for better health outcomes.

Managing Emotions for Better Health

• Chronic stress can have negative health outcomes, so it's important to manage emotions.

• Take deep breaths and appreciate your emotions, but don't let them run your life.