Expressing your emotional state can be challenging for anyone—so challenging, that some don’t do it at all. While both men and women feel emotions like sadness, research shows that 71% of women are more likely to admit it, compared to only 53% of men. Other research by Ipsos Public Affairs reveals that 38% of men reportedly avoid discussing their feelings.
Yet, studies show that emotional expression is critical for good health, particularly with symptoms of anxiety. Those who practice journaling, for example, effectively free up “brain space” and are better able to cope with stress. Even further, emotional avoidance not only puts our bodies into a state of mental and physical stress, it also hinders the potential for forming deep connections with others.
The emotions list is an effective guide for learning how to articulate and process what you’re feeling. This, in turn, can help enrich personal and professional relationships, prevent stress, thwart illness, and boost your sense of meaning and fulfillment.
Key Takeaways
- Psychologists theorize that people are born with seven basic human emotions.
- Expressing these emotions cultivates understanding and a more meaningful life.
- Repressing these emotions leads to disconnect and poor health.
- Developing emotional intelligence is effective for managing different types of feelings.
What Is the Emotions List?
“Emotions change how we see the world and how we interpret the actions of others.”
Paul Ekman
The emotions list is part of Basic Emotion Theory—or the idea that everyone is inherently born with a basic set of emotions. Thoughts on how many emotions exist vary within the psychological community. Yet, psychologist Paul Ekman’s proposition that people are born with seven basic feelings: anger, contempt, disgust, enjoyment, fear, sadness, and surprise, is widely accepted.
Basic Emotion Theory gained traction in 1980 with psychologist Robert Plutchik’s emotion wheel, which proposed the presence of eight basic emotions varying in degree of extremity. Ekman later proposed that there were seven basic emotions. Basic Emotion Theory has since advanced, with many theorizing the presence of more than 20 basic human emotions.
Ekman’s Seven Basic Emotions
- Anger: This is an intense emotion characterized by feelings of annoyance, frustration, and hostility. Feeling anger can also elicit physical responses, such as bodily tension, quickened breathing, and increased heart rate.
- Contempt: This emotion refers to feelings of disgust and disrespect from one person toward another. Typically, the person demonstrating contempt does so out of perceived self-superiority or moral violation.
- Disgust: Disgust is characterized by intense feelings of revulsion and rejection and can often be visceral. It can protect us from harmful matters but also limit our connections with others if not addressed.
- Enjoyment: This emotion is captured when we feel happy, safe, comfortable, and fulfilled. Anything can bring enjoyment, from hobbies to spending time with loved ones.
- Fear: Fear is a protection mechanism that embodies anxiousness, apprehension, and danger. Whether real or perceived, fear can be triggered by emotional, physical, and psychological threats to our well-being.
- Sadness: From a death to an illness, sadness can be triggered by a multitude of things, and it is an important part of the body’s healing process. Fully expressing sadness can help ward off long-term depression or emotional dysregulation.
- Surprise: Surprise can be a positive and negative emotion. It occurs when you’re struck with something suddenly and are shocked, astonished, or amazed.
What Happens When Human Emotions Are Repressed
For each experience, your brain creates emotion, and your body elicits a response. For example, if you’re enjoying an ice cream, your brain records that as a feel-good moment. This is the calm state, activated by your parasympathetic nervous system. If you have an argument with your friend, on the other hand, your brain assigns that to anger, and you feel tense. This is the fight or flight state, run by your sympathetic nervous system.
The fight or flight response allows us to perceive threats and avoid danger, and the calm state allows us to relax, think clearly, and make better decisions. Being able to toggle between the two is indicative of healthy emotional regulation. When we get stuck in the fight or flight response—such as when we repress emotions rather than express them—it becomes a problem for our bodies and minds.
As Emma McAdam, a licensed family therapist, explains, “An unhealthy nervous system gets stuck in elevated levels of stress, rarely going through cycles of calm. The sympathetic nervous system takes over, and you feel constantly anxious; you may see danger in the slightest signal, and find it very difficult to relax. This often leads to periodic exhaustion and crashing.”
While repressing an emotion can be tempting, particularly when trauma is present, doing so elevates your body’s stress response. This, in turn, causes a host of health problems. The International Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research discusses many negative consequences of poor emotional regulation.
Negative Health Effects of Poor Emotional Management
- Abnormal sleep patterns
- Increased stress and anxiety
- Reduced compliance with recommended health treatments
- Higher likelihood of poor nutrition, substance abuse, and lack of exercise
By expressing your emotions, however, you combat this physiological response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. McAdam says, “The parasympathetic response slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, it turns back on digestion, your muscles loosen . . . this state is also known as ‘rest and digest’ . . . this is a healing state.”
Benefits of Expressing Emotions
- Activates the parasympathetic nervous system
- Reduces anxiety and depression
- Facilitates clarity and better decision-making
- Helps you to see difficult situations in a new way
- Releases the power that the repressed emotion has over you
- Creates understanding and cultivates stronger bonds with others
How to Express Yourself With the List of Emotions
“Emotions are a process, a particular kind of automatic appraisal influenced by our evolutionary and personal past.”
Dr. Paul Ekman
Anger
If you’ve experienced a threat, sudden hardship, or form of injustice, it’s normal to feel angry. A recent poll conducted by NPR discovered that 42% of respondents said they were angrier now than a year ago.
Related feelings of anger:
- Frustrated
- Annoyed
- Bitter
- Resentful
- Irritated
- Hostile
Dealing with anger is vital for good health. As Dr. Anil Jain says in an interview with NPR, “I think of anger as a health risk.” Experts with Johns Hopkins Medicine even link chronic anger with increased risk for heart attack, depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. Fortunately, there are several healthy ways these types of feelings can be managed.
How to manage anger:
- Forgive others.
- Forgive yourself.
- Release expectations.
- Focus on solutions.
- Practice expressing your feelings calmly and thoughtfully.
Contempt
When someone treats us disrespectfully or as though we are beneath them, they are demonstrating contempt. It is as if they are saying “I am better than you” or “You are not worthy,” causing reasonable anger and discouragement for the recipient.
Related feelings of contempt:
- Scornful
- Belittling
- Disdainful
- Disapproving
- Condescending
Jinashree Rajendrakumar, a certified couples therapist with The Gottman Institute, explains it this way: “Contempt comes from a place of superiority and makes the other feel inferior. Deep down, it stems from a sense of feeling unappreciated and unacknowledged in the relationship.”
How to address contempt:
- Confront the person treating you with contempt.
- Address their behavior toward you.
- Express to them how it is making you feel.
- Ask them if there is something they need in the relationship that they are not getting.
Disgust
Disney Pixar’s movie Inside Out poses a cute suggestion on the emotion of disgust, explaining, “Whether advising on your social life or on life’s little messes, disgust is there . . .”
In real life, of course, the emotion of disgust includes a not-so-cute broad category of real and perceived triggers, from unpleasant people to unpleasant odors. Typically, it arises when a person encounters a situation they are deeply averse to, accompanied by contact-avoidant body language. Disgust can be good because feeling disgusted can protect you from harmful instances. However, disgust can also indicate a limitation or personal bias to overcome.
Related feelings of disgust:
- Revulsed
- Displeased
- Nauseated
- Loathing
- Averted
If you experience disgust or any of the related types of feelings often, it can be helpful to explore strategies for overcoming it.
Strategies for mitigating disgust:
- Become more aware with a Disgust Sensitivity Test.
- Practice empathy and compassion for others.
- Learn more about the things you’re disgusted by.
Enjoyment
As kids, enjoyment could be found in almost anything, from riding bikes to climbing trees and baking cookies. As adults, however, responsibilities can cramp our sense of adventure and quelch any semblance of fun. From a health perspective, this is bad news because studies place a direct link between a lack of adult play with increased risks for anxiety, depression, and poor health.
Related feelings of enjoyment:
- Happy
- Delighted
- Pleased
- Amused
- Excited
- Joyful
If your life lacks enjoyment, take time to reflect on that. What did you used to enjoy doing that you haven’t done in a while? When do you feel your best? Sometimes simply becoming more aware and changing your perspectives on things can cultivate happiness.
Moments you may feel enjoyment:
- When you feel most understood, at peace, and relaxed.
- When you are amongst people you are comfortable with.
- When you are doing something you love, such as painting or hiking.
Fear
Whether you experience a brief fear of something or are one of the 19 million Americans with an ongoing phobia, fear can be a pervasive life disruption. If you have anxiety, which is likely to affect nearly 30% of people at some point, according to Psychiatry.org, your levels of fear may be heightened even further.
Related feelings of fear:
- Anxious
- Nervous
- Dreadful
- Panicked
- Worrying
In some cases, feeling fear is good. It can protect you from harm or prevent you from making decisions that could have potentially negative outcomes. Other times, it could be needlessly holding you back.
Tips for managing fear:
- Confront it: What is it exactly that you’re fearful of?
- Crowd it out: Is it a fear of something perceived? Distract yourself with positive thoughts, activities, and people.
- Consider it: Get to the bottom of your fear. Break it apart. Consider the outcome if the fear comes true. Think about how you would handle it.
Sadness
Sadness might be one of the most uncomfortable emotions we can experience. From crying to lack of energy and withdrawal from others, sadness can uproot our routines and relationships. The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 5% of the world suffers from depression, the potential byproduct of prolonged sadness or emotional dysregulation.
Related feelings of sadness:
- Sorrowful
- Lonely
- Hopeless
- Dejected
- Melancholy
- Grief-stricken
Motivational coach Lisa Nichols shares, “Sadness and misery [are] contagious . . . and if you’re the person that’s sad, and you’re the person that’s depressed, still, who are you surrounding yourself with? Go and be around people who make you stand on your tippy toes to find joy.”
Tips for healing from sadness:
- Allow yourself a good cry.
- Sit down with your sadness; confront it and take a deep breath.
- Explore mental health apps for reflection, guided meditation, and positive affirmations.
- Allow yourself to be sad while implementing new ways to be kinder to yourself.
- Begin to take small daily steps to return to your baseline, like going for a walk, gardening, or going for a drive with the music on.
Surprise
Some people love surprises, while others detest them. A surprise can be positive, like getting a huge tip as a server. Or a surprise can be negative, like being greeted with a flat tire. Whichever way a surprise goes, this emotion is not only inevitable, but it plays a larger role in your mindset and well-being than you’d expect.
Researchers from the University of Denver propose that positive surprises—or “reward prediction errors”—imprint on the brain’s memory storage more deeply than other emotional events. These memories, in turn, impact how we view and remember our life, particularly when we look back.
Related feelings of surprise:
- Astonished
- Amazed
- Shocked
- Disbelieving
- Perplexed
- Confused
- In awe
Still, good or bad, unexpected events or occurrences can be alarming. As humans, we want to feel we have control over our circumstances and the things we experience. When something happens that we didn’t expect, it challenges what we think we know about our situation.
Tips for dealing with unexpected events and surprises:
- Acknowledge and accept that the surprise happened.
- If it feels negative, remind yourself it could be worse or a blessing in disguise.
- Always make alternate plans; this can mitigate future surprises.
- Give yourself a moment to digest the change instead of giving a gut response.
- If you can’t change the outcome, accept that, and focus on what’s next.
How Human Emotion Impacts the Workplace
“As more and more artificial intelligence is entering into the world, more and more emotional intelligence must enter into leadership.”
Amit Ray
Exercising emotional intelligence—that is, recognizing and empathizing with the emotions of others—is also critical for building a successful company culture. Being emotionally intelligent means having the self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and social skills necessary to connect and relate with others more deeply. These four components, identified by Harvard researcher and psychologist Daniel Goleman, make relationship-building, problem-solving, and collaboration possible.
As Goleman shares in an article for CNBC, “What makes someone great at their job? Having knowledge, smarts, and vision, to be sure. But what really distinguishes the world’s most successful leaders is emotional intelligence.”
Resources for improving emotional intelligence and regulation:
- Download an emotional intelligence app, like Sintelly or Moodflow.
- Read Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman.
- Use journaling and emotion tracking to learn to identify and master your emotions.
- Take an online course, like this one, for a complete lesson on EI and why it matters.
For more insights on how to apply emotional expression for a better workplace, read “Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace: What You Should Know.”
Leaders Media has established sourcing guidelines and relies on relevant, and credible sources for the data, facts, and expert insights and analysis we reference. You can learn more about our mission, ethics, and how we cite sources in our editorial policy.
- Alvarado, Joshua. “In U.S., Women More Likely than Men to Report Feeling Empathy for Those Suffering.” Pew Research Center, Jan. 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/01/28/in-u-s-women-more-likely-than-men-to-report-feeling-empathy-for-those-suffering/.
- PERCEPTIONS OF MASCULINITY & THE CHALLENGES OF OPENING UP. Global Research Report, Ipsos Public Affairs, Oct. 2019, https://cdn.movember.com/uploads/images/2012/News/UK%20IRE%20ZA/Movember%20Masculinity%20%26%20Opening%20Up%20Report%2008.10.19%20FINAL.pdf.
- Niles, Andrea, and Kate Haltom. “Effects of Expressive Writing on Psychological and Physical Health.” National Library of Medicine, June 2013, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3830620/.
- “Universal Emotions.” Paul Ekman Group, https://www.paulekman.com/universal-emotions/.
- Keltner, Dacher, et al. “Emotional Expression: Advances in Basic Emotion Theory.” National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6687086/.
- “How to Release Emotions Trapped in Your Body 10/30 How to Process Emotions Like Trauma and Anxiety.” YouTube, 15 Apr. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZw8fRPK-8k.
- Patel, Jainish, and Prittesh Patel. “Consequences of Repression of Emotion: Physical Health, Mental Health and General Well Being.” International Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, vol. 1, no. 3, 2019, pp. 16–21, https://openaccesspub.org/ijpr/article/999.
- Hensley, Scott. “Poll: Americans Say We’re Angrier Than A Generation Ago.” NPR, 26 June 2019, https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/06/26/735757156/poll-americans-say-were-angrier-than-a-generation-ago.
- “Forgiveness: Your Health Depends on It.” Johns Hopkins Medicine Logo, 1 Nov. 2021, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/forgiveness-your-health-depends-on-it.
- Rajendrakumar, Jinashree. “The Gottman Institute.” What Causes Contempt in Relationships, https://www.gottman.com/blog/what-causes-contempt-in-relationships/.
- “INSIDE OUT | Meet Disgust | Official Disney Pixar UK.” YouTube, 11 June 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG-oS_A3XQ0.
- “What Is Physical Activity?” National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Mar. 2022, https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart/physical-activity.
- “American Psychiatric Association.” What Are Anxiety Disorders?, https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/anxiety-disorders/what-are-anxiety-disorders
- “Phobias.” Johns Hopkins Medicine Logo, https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/phobias. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.
- “Depressive Disorder (Depression).” World Health Organization, 31 Mar. 2023, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression.
- “Ways To Overcome Sadness – Lisa Nichols.” YouTube, 3 Apr. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFDKDoUnqLU.
- Susan Krauss Whitbourne, is. “The Unexplored Emotion of Surprise.” Psychology Today, 1 Mar. 2023, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/202204/the-unexplored-emotion-surprise.
- Goleman, Daniel. “Harvard Researcher Says the Most Emotionally Intelligent People Have These 12 Traits. Which Do You Have?” CNBC, 9 June 2020, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/09/harvard-psychology-researcher-biggest-traits-of-emotional-intelligence-do-you-have-them.html.