19 Dec Feelings Aren’t Facts: 5 Takeaways from the New Science of Emotion
Your brain constructs your emotions, and you have the power to change the ingredients.
– Lisa Feldman Barrett
Happy holidays!
As we quickly move into the holiday break, and as senior families begin receiving news from colleges, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on what we’ve learned in our mindfulness sessions this year.
The tools and insights we’ve gained can help us navigate anxious moments with more clarity and compassion.
These practices not only help us alleviate stress but it also allows us to understand ourselves and our teens in a deeper way.
In our final mindfulness session of the year, Feeling Body, Emotion, Mind: How the New Neuroscience of Emotion Can Guide Us, Brian Shiers, LMFT, shared powerful insights rooted in Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett’s neuroscience research.
Here are five points to ponder and carry into the new year:
- Emotions Aren’t Hardwired – They’re Constructed.
Emotions aren’t automatic responses. Instead, our brains predict emotions based on past experiences and current context.
This understanding gives us more agency over how we respond to life’s challenges.
Emotions are like guesses—constructed in the moment. You have more power over them than you might think.
- Your Body’s Signals Are Just Signals.
A racing heart or tension doesn’t automatically mean anxiety. These are simple bodily signals (affect), and the meaning comes from how our brain interprets them.Understanding this lets us respond with curiosity rather than reactivity.
Feelings are in the body; emotions are in the mind.
- Emotional Vocabulary Brings Clarity.
When we use specific words to describe our emotions, we understand and process them better. Teaching ourselves and our kids to move beyond “angry” or “sad” builds emotional intelligence.
The stronger the feeling in the body, the more we believe our thoughts. But that doesn’t mean the thought is true.
- Facial Expressions Can Be Misleading.
A smile or frown doesn’t always mean what we think. Brian reminded us to approach others with curiosity, recognizing that facial expressions aren’t universal.
Physical movements have no intrinsic emotional meaning. We give them meaning.
- Mindfulness Helps You Shape Your Emotional Life.
By practicing awareness and understanding how emotions are constructed, we can move from being reactive to being calm and intentional—shaping how we experience the world.
Lisa Feldman Barrett’s TED Talk: “You Aren’t at the Mercy of Your Emotions”
Dr. Barrett’s TED Talk beautifully explains how emotions are constructed and how we can influence them.
You can watch her full TED Talk here.
Join Us for Our First Session in 2025!
We’re thrilled to welcome Brian Shiers back for another incredible Mindfulness talk on Resilience!
Date: January 10, 2025
Time: 9:00 AM
Location: https://kalikazoom.com
Learn more and Register here.
A Heartfelt Thank You
This was our final mindfulness session of the year. I’m so grateful for everyone who joined us, shared, and practiced together.
As we move into the holidays, we hope you find moments of calm, clarity, and connection with yourself and your loved ones.
Wishing you a mindful and joyful holiday season and a wonderful start to 2025!
Wishing you all love and light always,
Chair, Harvard-Westlake Mindfulness Club