We have many expressions to express our emotions: we are excited when we are angry, we feel regret when we are sad, and sometimes we feel like bursting with joy. It turns out that there is a scientific explanation behind all these phrases and it has something to do with our feelings towards certain parts of the body.
We support everyone’s well-being, so let’s share relevant information about how new emotions can affect our health.
“Emotional Baggage” Is Literally Trapped Feelings That Weigh Us Down And Disrupt Our Bodily Functions
Holistic chiropractor Dr. Bradley Nelson, DC explained that repressed emotions cause vibrations and frequencies in specific parts of the body.
If we don’t process or release them, the energy they create becomes stuck and can manifest itself through muscle tension, pain, or other illnesses.
Mind-body therapist Kelly Vincent, PsyD likens compares feelings to “a giant obstacle” preventing the free flow of energy.
One Study Mapped Out The Body Sensations Associated With Each Emotion:
A group of Finnish researchers carried out 5 online experiments with hundreds of participants from different cultural backgrounds.
Respondents were exposed to stimuli that would generate certain feelings. They were also asked to identify which regions of the body appeared to be on and which parts were off when viewing emotional triggers.
The team found that the patterns of body sensations were consistent with all the feelings tested, meaning that the anatomical map they developed is universal.
Happiness And Love Manifest Throughout The Entire Body
The emotional excitement of feeling joy affects our muscles located in the stomach, intestines, and bladder, hence the meaning of the expression “butterflies in the stomach”.
However, compared to happiness, love did not feel so much on the legs.
Both emotions also release dopamine and serotonin, the well-being hormones that help regulate our moods and emotions. These 2 neurotransmitters work hand in hand to maintain a chemical balance throughout the body.
Anger Is Mainly Felt In The Body’s Upper Half And Can Mostly Affect The Heart
Perhaps this is why we feel the need to hit something when we are upset. The emotional energy is intense in the arms and we can feel the need to release it.
Feeling angry also releases adrenaline, causing our muscles to contract and our blood pressure to rise. There are also studies linking repressed anger to heart disease and a weakened immune system.
Fear And Disgust Also Affect The Body’s Upper Half And The Cardiovascular System
Our body’s fight-or-flight response when we are fearful includes the release of the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which help prepare our muscles for violent action.
These hormones increase the activity of the heart and lungs, which is consistent with the emotional atlas formulated by the research team.
And like other negative emotions, constant fear can lead to chronic stress, which can affect memory and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Sadness Can Get Trapped In The Head And Chest, While Depression Deactivates The Lower Body
Studies have shown that depression can contribute to physical changes in the brain and can cause headaches and inflammation.
Feelings of distress can also result in loss of interest in certain things, which may explain why the limbs are not highlighted on the body map.
Anxiety Is Felt Above The Pelvis Region, Which Is Also The Area Affected By Anxiety Attacks
Like fear, this emotion triggers adrenaline and increases our respiratory rate so that our brain can get more oxygen and prepare for a perceived threat. Fast heart rate, chest pain, and nausea are symptoms of an anxiety attack.
Constant anxiety disrupts the normal functions of our body and can weaken our immune system. It can also leave us vulnerable to viral infections and other diseases.
Most of the time, we are “scared” when we are anxious. The lack of intensity of the map in the legs and feet may be due to the constriction of the blood vessels, resulting in less blood flow out of the body.
Have you ever noticed how your body reacts when you experience intense emotions? Are you the type of person who keeps feelings in check or finds ways to release them?
