Understanding the Difference Between Emotions and Feelings

Emotions are the raw, bodily experience happening in the present moment. Feelings are how your mind makes sense of those experiences by creating meaning and stories.

What Are Emotions?

Emotions arise automatically in your body. You don’t choose them or think your way into them. Instead, you feel your way into them.

Some of the emotions you might notice:

• A fluttering or sinking feeling in your stomach

• Heat in your face

• Muscle tension

• Difficulty breathing

• Wanting to cry without knowing why

These sensations are your nervous system’s way of communicating before your mind steps in. Therapy encourages you to stay with these bodily sensations fully, without rushing to label or fix them.

Sometimes, you won’t know what caused the emotion. It could be something happening now or a memory your body recalls. Therapy invites you to be curious about what is present in your experience rather than trying to explain or avoid it.

What Are Feelings?

Feelings come after emotions. Your mind begins to catch up and adds meaning to what your body is experiencing.

For example, if your face feels hot, your brain might label it as anger or stress. How you name your feelings depends on your past experiences and what you learned was safe to feel.

These meanings are part of your ongoing story, but they are not the whole picture. You are invited to notice the difference between the raw emotion and the story you tell yourself about it.

Why Do Emotions Matter?

Emotions are signals inviting you to become more aware of what is happening inside you. They are always in the present moment, carrying messages about your needs and boundaries. They might feel uncomfortable or unclear, but they are essential parts of your whole experience.

For example:

• Sadness might say, “Things didn’t go as planned.”

• Shame might say, “You’re feeling something that wasn’t accepted.”

• Numbness might say, “This is too much right now.”

When you ignore your emotions, you might repeat old patterns without realising it. Therapy encourages you to bring awareness to these patterns by fully experiencing your emotions as they arise.

What Can Happen When We Don’t Process Our Emotions?

Avoiding emotions doesn’t make them disappear. Instead, they show up in other ways:

• Feeling constantly on edge

• Anxiety or depression

• Snapping at others

• Physical pain or tension

• Feeling numb

• Turning to unhealthy habits

• Perfectionism

• Chronic illness

If emotions were not talked about in your family, you might have learned to push them down to get through the day. Your nervous system tried to protect you, but those old habits can cause problems now.

Therapy emphasises the importance of awareness in the present moment to break these patterns. When you become aware of your emotions and bodily sensations, you can begin to respond rather than react.

How to Start Feeling Your Feelings with Awareness

If you weren’t taught to sit with your emotions, this is your chance to start. Try this:

• Notice what your body feels without rushing to name or fix it.

• Pause and be fully present with your body’s signals, allowing the experience to unfold.

• Observe the stories your mind creates, but don’t get caught up in them.

• Allow yourself to feel without judgment or pressure to change anything.

• This pause creates space for awareness. It helps you respond instead of react, which is a core therapy practice.

Questions to Reflect On

• What sensations are present in your body right now?

• Can you notice the difference between the raw emotion and the story you tell yourself about it?

• How might your experience change if you stayed with your emotions fully in the present moment?

Start Your Journey to Emotional Awareness Today

Take the first step towards understanding your emotions and feelings. Book a free consultation to explore how therapy can support your emotional growth.