"Inside Out" is an Enjoyable Way to Learn How We Process and Store Emotions

Ashley Lee from the Hollywood Reporter wrote an article about Pixar's animated blockbuster film, "Inside Out" titled "8 Things 'Inside Out' Teaches Viewers About Emotions, Memory and the Mind".  Her article includes interesting and detailed information from knowledgable sources.  Isn't it awesome to know joy, sadness, fear, anger, and disgust are alive and well inside of us??

If you are new to emotional work, "Inside Out" is a really fun way to learn the "ins" and "outs".  Understanding how our brains assimilate experiences helps us to understand how to reverse negative effects of bad experiences.

"That ability to identify and manage emotions is referred to as Emotional Intelligence (EQ), for which, 'around the age of two, children start rapidly developing a vocabulary for their feelings,' says child development and parenting expert Denise Daniels, who has created a line of EQ educational products. 'It is important to teach children emotional intelligence skills at an early age, so they have the necessary tools to manage the emotional ups and downs of everyday life.' "  

Why is that incredibly important?  Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence Why It Can Matter More than IQ and known for expanding EQ consciousness around the world states on his website,  "In 1995, I outlined the preliminary evidence suggesting that SEL (social and emotional learning) was the active ingredient in programs that enhance children’s learning while preventing problems such as violence. Now the case can be made scientifically: helping children improve their self-awareness and confidence, manage their disturbing emotions and impulses, and increase their empathy pays off not just in improved behavior but in measurable academic achievement."

Social cognition specialist and psychology professor Gail Heyman was quoted in the Hollywood Reporter article as saying "...to have embarrassment, guilt, or shame, you need to have certain cognitive skills, including a sense of self that can be judged by others."  While our sense of self allows us to feel those emotions, we also need to know we can reduce the effects of negative memories.

And while apathy makes it seem like someone experiencing trauma is doing better than if they were displaying sign of sadness, " '...apathy isn’t an emotion, it comes from depression or burnt-out feelings that include loss of situational control,' explains psychotherapist and author Emily Roberts. 'No one can be apathetic for long. On the outside they may appear apathetic, but inside, there is an internal battle brewing' ".  People who seem apathetic are just taking longer to process complex emotional situations.

What about emotional trauma?  Fran Walfish, psychotherapist and author of The Self-Aware Parent said in the Hollywood Reporter article that traumatic moments "can actually require more time to identify mixed emotions, process the experience and store a memory.  Sometimes, we must go through a myriad of emotions until we land in a place of resolution where we properly associate the memory."  In the movie, the traumatic event was a move across the country.  But it doesn't have to be a major event to cause havoc in our minds.

What's the bottom line?  To me, everything begins with an awareness of situations new or upsetting to us.  If people in our lives encounter new or possibly traumatic situations, it makes sense to look out for those internal emotional battles.  If we have dependent children involved in situations that have potential for multiple negative emotions, paying close attention and reaching out for help when necessary is key.  The sooner we work through change, the more time we have to feel happiness and joy (yay)!!!

Have a great day!!

xo
Conni