How long do emotions last, good and bad?

Fortunately, anger passes in two hours. But sadness can last up to 120 hours. Joy, meanwhile, evaporates in 35 hours, and enthusiasm in 6 hours.

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duration of emotions
As last le emotionsHow do they pass? The answers, stamped by scientific research, are important, in as allow us to try to manage the emotionsThe negative ones, to make them pass more quickly. The positive ones, to enjoy them longer. In both cases, a way to avoid wasting our mental balance and, if anything, strengthen it.

What are emotions?

To simplify, we can say that on a scientific level the emotions They are to our mind what physical sensations are to the body.emotion It is the response to a stimulus that produces physiological changes: the heart beats faster, body temperature increases, changes in breathingNeuroscientists make a clear distinction between emotion and feeling, inviting us not to confuse the two levels.emotion It is the brain's response to specific stimuli; feeling is our conscious representation of this response.
Anger, joy, fear are definitely emotions contagious. They are transmitted from one person to another like a virus, according to a phenomenon described by psychologist Daniel Goleman in a famous book, Emotional intelligence, published in 1995. Goleman defines the transmission as an “emotional contagion” and also indicates the channels through which it circulates from one person to another: the smile (Pay attention to this when you're in company: there's nothing more contagious than laughter), crying, tone of voice, hand gestures, glances, and facial expressions.
The “emotional contagion” of emotions It is also very effective on social media. In a study published in Plos One it is demonstrated as, for example, on Facebook Positive posts encourage others of the same kind. And the opposite is true for negative posts. In this way, a single post creates a powerful "ripple effect," and in general, emotions Positive ones are transmitted more quickly than negative ones.

How long do emotions last?

Two researchers from the Department of Psychology at the University of Leuven in Belgium have spent several years studying the precise duration of emotions. They've uncovered many surprises, which we can also consider useful for regulating our behavior.

Anger, for example, which can paralyze us and become destructive, lasts a short time: about 2 hours.Time for a movie, a football match, a little book: something that helps her cool off. Hatred, on the other hand, is much more deeply rooted and does not evaporate before 60 hours, and anxiety and disappointment also last longer. (24 hours on average). So, don't panic over a friend who has disappointed you, and consider a day as the minimum time needed to cool down this unpleasant feeling.

Sadness

Sadness, unfortunately, has a long time: 120 hours. Fear (40 minutes) and shame (30 minutes) are much quicker.. It is no coincidence that we speak of "mourning processing" when referring to the sadness which arises from a negative event, and certainly eradicating it is very important to avoid slipping into a state of real depression.

Gioia

The emotions that give us the most pleasure, the positive ones, are unfortunately also the ones that fade the fastest. Joy doesn't last more than 35 hours, enthusiasm just 6 hours, and gratitude Only 5 hours. When someone has the courage to admit it.

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