Overview:
This lesson centers on understanding the purpose and impact of emotions in our lives, particularly in relation to our behaviors and decision-making. Providers should understand how the primitive brain (driven by basic emotions), the emotional brain (that helps remember important events), and the prefrontal cortex (our thinking brain) work together in managing emotions. Providers should understand the implications of these emotional responses in scenarios such as emotional eating, stress management, and lifestyle behaviors, and providing the tools that can help individuals manage their emotional responses effectively.
Topic Summary:
- Emotions can be considered primitive (e.g., anger or fear) or more sophisticated (e.g., empathy, nostalgia).
- Emotions play a crucial role in creating and retaining memories, especially for significant (positive or negative) events.
- Emotions create a neurological connection, aiding in the retrieval of memories and their associated feelings.
- The prefrontal cortex (PFC) uses “rulesets” to interpret situations and guide behavior based on experience.
- Emotional eating can be partially due to the primitive brain’s response to stress and emotional states and may not be apparent to higher brain areas.
- Emotional health greatly influences our choices and behaviors, requiring effective management for a balanced lifestyle.
