Is There A Difference Between Feelings And Emotions?

Most people use the terms “feelings” and “emotions” interchangeably, believing they mean the same when discussing the human experience. The phrase "feelings vs emotions" highlights the subtle yet important differences between these two aspects of our psychological makeup, where emotions are automatic, subconscious responses to stimuli, and feelings are the conscious experiences and interpretations of those emotions. While they are related, psychologists and philosophers often distinguish between the two. Here, we’ll explore the nature of feelings and emotions, distinguish between them, and give some real life examples of how our emotional brain works on a daily basis. We’ll also discuss some ways to determine which you are experiencing and how to handle many emotions and big feelings with self-awareness for better mental health.

Understanding the difference between feelings and emotions

Emotions describe personal experiences we label as good or bad, kind of like enjoying a warm cup of coffee or disliking a rainy day. Feelings, on the other hand, refer to the thoughts we have about our feelings, and also act as a vehicle for communicating our feelings. 

For example, a betrayal may trigger sensations of anger, hurt, and sadness. These are emotions, and often evoke immediate physical sensations within the body. Our thoughts about the experience—such as those of betrayal, disillusionment, or distrust—shape and define our feelings.

What are emotions in psychology? 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), emotions are complex reactional patterns arising in an individual due to a significant event. The unique significance of the happening determines the quality of the emotion. An example of a significant event that causes an emotional response would be extreme airplane turbulence eliciting a feeling of fear. 

Emotions often involve feelings but are implicitly engaged with the world around you. They emerge subconsciously in several brain areas, including the subcortical region, the amygdala, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortices. The stimulus of these areas of the brain causes changes in one’s physical and emotional state. 

The “fight-or-flight” response when faced with danger or stress is a basic human physiological response characterized by increased heart rate, energy, and other physical reactions ingrained in each person’s genetic code. This response became widespread because it has helped humans and other mammals survive as a species. However, the body can respond automatically to other emotional stimuli, including during pleasurable or enjoyable circumstances. 

Because these inclinations of the emotional brain are a neurochemical reaction from a stimulus, they are also considered unconscious and instinctive.  

The psychology of emotions 

According to psychologists Paul Ekman and Wallace Friesen, there are six universal emotions that all humans can experience. These emotional responses include the following: 

• Happiness
• Sadness
• Fear
• Disgust
• Anger
• Surprise

These emotions were determined based on research with two isolated tribes in Papua New Guinea, the Southern Fore and Kukukuku, in the early 1970s. When presented with images of the faces associated with each emotional state, the tribe could identify the emotions on the faces similarly to other societies. Afterward, the researchers continued emotional research by taking pictures of the Southern Fore and Kukukuku performing these facial expressions and showing them to other cultures worldwide. The results were the same. 

In addition to the six universal facial expressions, sounds may also be universal. For instance, if presented with a foul-smelling odor, humans may make a disgusted facial reaction paired with a “yuck” sound or equivalent in another language to express that they are offended. This verbal expression is known as universal human signaling. 

Another example of a universal emotional signal is smiling and laughing. Smiling and laughter are often paired together in multiple cultures throughout the world. However, it is not required that everyone shows these signs. People can still experience emotions internally without outwardly showing them in certain ways. Regardless, emotions can be essential in human interaction and relationships, and play a crucial role in our beliefs, memories, and evolution.

What is the difference between feelings and emotions?

In contrast to emotions, feelings originate in the neocortical region of the brain responsible for emotional processing and are reactions to the emotional stimulus. Feelings form when your emotional brain assigns meaning to the experience that you are having.

Because they are based on an emotional experience, they can be subjective; with one person having a completely different experience than another when faced with the same stimuli on a daily basis. Looking at the six universal emotions, you can attach the words feel, felt, or feeling to any of them. For example, you can feel happy or angry. However, these feelings are more specific than broad emotional responses and may encompass more variety. 

The science behind feelings and emotions

Feelings and emotions are the result of complex brain activity in which physiological responses (like increased heart rate and energy) are combined with sensory information. The emotional brain interprets those neurochemical responses to create a subjective experience that influences our beliefs, memory, behaviors, and more. Interpretations of feelings and emotion can vary between people depending on different factors such as cultural background and other environmental influences. For example, one person’s experience with fear might compel them to flee, while another may have a completely different experience with fear and therefore react differently.

How are feelings more specific than emotions? 

Feelings can become more specific than emotional responses and may also be brought up due to your physical reactions. Pain and hunger are a couple of real life examples of this occurrence.  If you are injured, you can feel pain. If you have not eaten during the day, you may feel hungry. In addition, you might feel angry if you’re hungry for a long time. 

For most people, these dispositions are noticed at the conscious level, and according to Antonio Damasio, professor of Neuroscience at the University of Southern California, these inclinations are mental experiences of body states and arise as your brain interprets your subconscious moods. Damasio theorizes that big feelings arise due to the human brain interpreting emotions, the physical signals of the body reacting to an external stimulus. His primary theory stipulates that the interplay of emotions and feelings is the core of consciousness, and emotional control processes preserve life while shaping personal and cultural accomplishments. 

Unlike emotions, feelings are completely conscious. However, not all conscious experiences are necessarily feelings. You may be aware of what you are seeing or hearing without your awareness being a feeling. Although feelings differ slightly from emotions, they do have similarities. 

How to determine the differences between feelings and emotions

Your brain may assign beliefs and meaning to your moods to create a feeling but can also do the opposite, depending on the experiences you have been exposed to. For example, arachnophobia (the fear of spiders) can be an example. At some point in your life, you may have had a negative experience with a spider, causing you to fear them in the future. 

This innate phobia and emotional state can also be paired with feelings like fear and disgust. Your moods can affect your behaviors, allowing feelings towards them to persist. You can actively try to avoid spiders or avoid thinking about them to prevent an unwanted emotional response, creating more fear. 

Similarly, these emotional responses can cause you to pursue a behavior or situation because you expect a positive emotional response. However, moods are often temporary and emotional responses can be persistent. This process can create a cycle of emotions that incite negative feelings, which cause more emotions. 

While one person might have a completely different experience of emotions and feelings than another, they can affect how individuals react with the world in many ways, including shaping healthy or unhealthy behaviors. Since they shape your behaviors, becoming aware of these emotions and fully understanding your emotional responses can be beneficial in making changes. 

Why understanding the difference can be a game changer

Understanding the difference between feelings and emotions can help build self-awareness and strengthen emotional intelligence, allowing you to respond to life rather than react impulsively. Sometimes, the signals of the emotional brain don’t necessarily accurately reflect what’s happening in our reality, which can skew our feelings about the circumstances in unhelpful ways. When we learn to recognize those situations, we might be more open to deeper insight that cultivates personal growth, positive change, and better mental health. 

How feelings and emotions interact in everyday life

Feelings and emotions interact by influencing thoughts and behaviors on a daily basis, acting as an internal compass for decision-making, and preparing the body for action. Emotions are physiological reactions to events that signal to your brain. Your feelings are the conscious interpretation of that signal that shapes your perception of reality, guides your choices in the moment, and motivates your behavior in the future. For most people, thoughts and emotions have a multidirectional relationship. A real life situation may trigger an emotion, which leads to a feeling, a thought process, and a subsequent behavior or decision. For example, when dealing with failure or rejection, your emotional response might be a drop in energy and a heaviness in your chest. Depending on your experience with failure or rejection, this may lead to feeling anxious, shame, or depression. To keep it from happening in the future, you might develop issues with trusting others or avoid getting too close in relationships. 

How culture and experience influence emotional expression

How the emotional brain operates is biologically universal for most people. However, in certain ways, cultural background, beliefs, and memories can cause one individual to have a completely different experience of emotional connection, expression, and interpretation than another. For example, Western societies often value open emotional expression as authenticity, whereas many East Asian cultures emphasize restraint to preserve harmony. 

Self-awareness of your emotions as a vehicle for change

To change your emotional responses, it may be beneficial to work toward a sense of self-awareness. One way to develop an awareness of your emotions is to pay attention to the physical sensations that occur after a stimulus, such as your heartbeat or temperature.

These physical sensations are the only way to measure emotions in studies. For instance, pupil dilation through eye tracking, heart rate with electrocardiography (ECG), or facial expressions can give others an objective measurement of emotions because they are bodily reactions as well as feelings. 

When you develop an awareness of your emotions and feelings, you can navigate the world around you more freely. You may be able to figure out the causes, make a conscious thought, and act in healthier ways. You can choose to respond, react, or ignore situations that cause an emotion to arise, potentially leading to a more positive lifestyle.

Recognizing and managing big feelings

Emotional regulation typically begins with self-awareness–when we learn to recognize the physical and emotional signals that we’re overwhelmed in the moment–such as a racing heart, tense muscles, or when we feel “on edge.” We can also cultivate better self-awareness and strengthen our ability to handle our feelings by naming them (“I feel anxious,” “I’m scared,”). When dealing with big feelings, try to create space before reacting by practicing breathing exercises, grounding yourself, or stepping away to stay calm. Journaling and talking with someone you trust can also help you recognize your emotions and express them healthily. 

When feelings become overwhelming

Shame, depression, and anger are all examples of feelings that can be overwhelming at times. When we are overwhelmed, it can affect how we function in daily life. For example, when we feel anxious, we may have a hard time staying calm or focused. Building self-awareness is key to recognizing when we’re becoming overwhelmed so we may pause and ground ourselves in the moment. Coping tools like breathing exercises and talking with a trusted friend or counselor can strengthen our ability to manage intense emotions and overwhelming experiences. 

Finding professional support

While spending time on your own to develop an awareness of your emotional reactions and associated feelings is possible, you may feel that working with a professional offers you an outside perspective that helps you more objectively understand. Whether you have a mental health condition or want to learn more about your feelings, a therapist can be a valuable resource.

DBT and CBT

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are two therapeutic modalities that target emotional dysregulation. If you are struggling with overwhelming emotions or do not understand why you are experiencing intense emotional responses to situations, you might choose to seek the help of a therapist who specializes in these modalities to support you through the process. 

How online therapy can help

People living with overwhelming emotions or mental health conditions may sometimes find visiting a therapist in person too challenging. Others may be unable to find the time to make appointments or are limited due to physical or geographical restrictions. Online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp can also be an effective option, proven in several studies to be as effective as in-person therapy, with the added benefits of convenience and comfort. Through an online platform, you can also choose between phone, video, or chat sessions, allowing you control over how you receive care.