Emotions are with us all the time, and they shape how we move through our days. They influence how we react to a comment from a partner, how we respond to a child who is struggling, or how we handle disappointment with a friend. Most of us were never taught how to understand our emotions, and many of us were told to ignore them, push through them, or judge them as good or bad.
In this blog we are exploring emotional awareness. Emotional awareness is the ability to notice, name, and understand what you are feeling as it is happening. It doesn't mean you are controlling emotions perfectly or staying calm at all times either. It means becoming more familiar with your inner experience so you can respond with more clarity, choice and care.
In this blog, we’ll explore:
- What emotions are and why they matter
- What emotional awareness means in everyday life
- The five key parts that make up an emotional experience
- Reflective exercises drawn from the original five-step model
- How emotional awareness can support relationships and decision-making
Before You Read: We understand that the information and strategies we share may not feel helpful for everyone. If you are in need of additional support or resources, please reach out to a professional, or connect with our team at contact@layla.care.
Understanding When and Why Emotions Occur
Emotions play an important role in how we understand and respond to the world around us. They can protect us, guide us, and even help us connect with others. Fear, for example, can keep us safe in risky situations, joy can strengthen friendships, and anger can signal that something important to us feels threatened.
At the same time, emotions can feel overwhelming when their intensity, timing, or duration doesn't feel like a good fit for someone, whether that’s because of the intensity, the type of emotion or because of the moment they are in when it arises. In these times we may find ourselves doing something, feeling or saying something that doesn’t feel right. Strong anger can lead to saying things we later regret. Anxiety can make social situations or school demands feel unmanageable. Fear of closeness can strain relationships we deeply care about.
Because of this, emotional awareness is often the first step toward responding differently. But, before we can change how we act, we need to notice what we are feeling and why we are feeling it.
What Is an Emotion?
From a psychological perspective, an emotion is a short-lived but meaningful experience that arises when we interpret something as important. Emotions prepare our bodies and minds to respond.
Even though emotions like sadness, joy, anger, or fear feel very different, they share common parts. Understanding these parts can make emotions feel less confusing and more manageable.
Most emotional experiences include five main components:
- Cognitive: How you interpret what is happening and why it matters to you
- Neurophysiological: The physical changes in your body, such as heart rate or muscle tension
- Motor expression: How emotions show up in your face, voice, or body language
- Motivational: The urge to move toward or away from something
- Subjective feeling: Your personal experience of how intense or uncomfortable the emotion feels
Exploring Emotional Awareness Through Experience
Rather than thinking about emotions only in theory, it can be helpful to reflect on real moments from your life.
Exploring a Past Emotional Experience
Think about a recent moment when you clearly felt an emotion. This could be a small interaction or a significant event, there is no right or wrong emotion to choose in this exercise.
Now that you have the moment in mind, you might want to gently reflect on:
- What happened, and how it differed from what you expected
- Why the situation mattered to you at the time
- What you noticed in your body, such as tension, warmth, or restlessness
- How your body and voice responded
- What you felt pulled to do in that moment
- How strong the emotion felt and how long it lasted
If reflecting feels uncomfortable or overwhelming, it’s also okay to pause or step back. Emotional awareness is a practice you can return to when it feels safe and manageable.
The goal is not to judge your reaction. It’s simply to notice patterns and triggers so emotions feel more familiar over time.
Noticing Emotions as They Arise
Emotions are not only shaped by past events, they can also arise in anticipation of something that has not happened yet.
You might notice this before an important conversation, a family gathering, a date, speaking engagement, or a school-related event. Imagining these situations can bring up real emotional and physical responses, like fear, excitement, anxiety.
As you think about an upcoming situation, you might want to reflect on:
- Why this situation feels important to you
- What thoughts are showing up about possible outcomes
- What you notice in your body right now
- How intense the emotion feels in this moment
With practice, this kind of awareness can make emotional reactions feel less surprising and easier to navigate.
Refining Emotional Awareness
As emotional awareness grows, many people notice that situations often bring up more than one emotion at the same time. You might feel disappointed and proud, anxious and excited, or frustrated and caring.
Being able to hold more than one emotional perspective can soften reactions and support more balanced responses. However, it doesn't mean forcing yourself to see the positive side, rather it means recognizing the full emotional picture, not just one emotion over the other.
This kind of awareness can help reduce emotional intensity and support thoughtful choices, especially in close relationships.
Using Emotional Awareness in Daily Life
When we are more aware of our emotions, we’re often less likely to make snap decisions based only on how we feel in the moment. Strong emotions can shape how we judge situations, where happiness can sometimes lead to overconfidence, while sadness can make things seem more negative than they are.
Emotional awareness doesn't remove bias completely, but it can help you pause and consider how feelings might be influencing your choices.
In relationships, naming emotions can also improve understanding and trust. Expressing positive emotions can strengthen connection. Sharing difficult emotions can communicate needs and invite support when done with care.
Layla’s Takeaway Tips
Paying attention to your emotions can create more space to respond thoughtfully in everyday situations. Rather than trying to manage or suppress how you feel, emotional awareness invites you to notice how emotions show up across your thoughts, body, actions, and feelings over time.
These reflections are gentle techniques that support the reworking of the original five-step emotional awareness model. You don’t need to use all of these every time, but they are helpful to have in your back pocket when needed:
✔️Notice the situation: What happened that sparked an emotional response for you?
✔️Check in with your body: What physical signals do you notice, such as tension, warmth, or changes in breathing?
✔️Observe your expression: How did the emotion show up in your face, voice, or body language?
✔️Notice your response: What did you feel pulled to do, such as moving closer, pulling away, or staying quiet?
✔️Reflect on the feeling: How intense was the emotion, and how long did it linger?
Over time, you may notice patterns across situations which can make emotions feel less overwhelming and support more thoughtful responses.
A Message from Layla
If emotions feel unmanageable or are affecting daily life, support from a trusted professional can help. In Canada, you can call or text 988 for suicide crisis support, or reach out to your family doctor or local mental health services. If you require any additional support, click here to explore our crisis and community resources.
If you’d like to inquire about finding mental health support that’s right for you, a member of our team is happy to assist you. You can email us at contact@layla.care for any inquiries, or complete our intake form to reach out to a member of our care team.
