We tend to think of emotions as deeply personal and something we just feel. But beneath the surface there is a whole lot of physical stuff going on.
At their core, emotions are biological events. They are the result of chemical activity that create sensations that can be interpreted as “vibrations.” These sensations move through us much like we can see ripples on a pond.
And when we understand more about these chemicals and vibrations, it can help us relate better to our emotions.
The Biology of Emotion: Chemistry in Motion
Every emotional experience begins with the body.
When you encounter a situation where there is perceived risk—whether it’s walking into a room full of strangers, preparing for an important meeting, or going into an exam hall—your brain processes that input and triggers a cascade of chemical signals to respond to the risk. Neurotransmitters and hormones such as dopamine, adrenaline, and cortisol are released into your system.
These chemicals influence:
This is the body’s way of preparing you to respond.
From a scientific perspective, this process is closely tied to the fight-or-flight response—our most basic survival mechanism designed to help you act quickly in the face of risk – whether that risk is real or just perceived.
What you feel in your body—tightness, energy, fluttering, heat—is the direct result of these chemical changes. In other words, emotions are not thoughts; they are physical states.
Emotions as Vibrations
If you really tune into your body during an emotional moment, you are likely to notice movement. There may be a buzzing in the chest, or a rush of energy, or a tightening of muscles.
These sensations can be understood as internal “vibrations”—evidence of activation in the nervous system.
These sensations are simply energy in motion.
To then help us define these different feelings, we give them labels.
The Role of Labels: Making Meaning Out of Sensation
Here’s where things get really interesting (if you neuronerdy like me!!)
The brain doesn’t just generate sensations—it also interprets them. According to the James-Lange theory of emotion and more modern frameworks like the constructed emotion theory, emotions are not fixed, pre-packaged experiences. Instead, they are constructed by the brain based on:
This means the same physical state can be interpreted in different ways both in one person (depending on the context) and person to person.
Anxiety vs. Excitement: The Same Signal, Different Story
Based on anxiety often being given so much more focus than excitement, AND learned languaging, these two emotions are often confused.
Both anxiety and excitement involve a release of adrenalin that:
Physiologically, they are remarkably similar.
The difference however lies in interpretation.
Research in affective neuroscience and the use of technology allows us to see these states overlap in the brain’s activation patterns.
In fact, studies have demonstrated that simply reframing anxiety as excitement -ie tell yourself you are excited rather than nervous, can measurably change the experience, helping us see things as an opportunity, rather than a risk to be avoided.
So the next time your heart races before something important, ask yourself what label you are giving to that feeling and consider changing the label to change the experience.
Emotional Contagion: How Feelings Spread Between People
And there is more…
Emotions don’t just stay within us—they ripple outward, much like ripples in a pond.
As social beings, we are highly attuned to the emotional states of others. We interpret subtle cues like facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and even micro-expressions, to constantly “read” each other.
This process is supported by the mirror neurons—brain cells that activate both when we experience something and when we observe someone else experiencing it.
This is why:
This phenomenon, often referred to as emotional contagion, highlights that emotions function almost like shared energetic patterns. One person’s internal “vibration” can influence another’s nervous system.
When you begin to see emotions as:
…you gain a powerful advantage.
Instead of being overwhelmed by emotions, you can become curious about them. You can start to feel in control rather than being a ‘victim’ to their presence.
You can ask:
This shift doesn’t eliminate the emotion but it changes your relationship with it.
A More Empowered Perspective
Anxiety and excitement are not opposites—they are closely related states separated by meaning.
Your body generates energy. Your mind decides what that energy means.
And with awareness, that meaning becomes more flexible than you might have thought.
The next time you feel that familiar surge in your chest, consider this:
You might not be anxious.
You might simply be excited—ready to embrace a new opportunity and grow.
Anxiety isn’t an enemy, it’s an energy. And with a little awareness, you can see that it may also be excitement and you can use it to become a catalyst for growth.
Does this resonate with you?
Can you relate to how anxiety and excitement feel the same?
Try this simple exercise….
Stand tall with your feet together and your eyes closed.
Think if something that genuinely scares you.
What you are likely to feel is your body leaning backwards – literally moving away from the risk.
Now do it again but this time think of something you genuinely want to do.
What you will feel this time is your body falling gently forwards – moving towards the thought.
You can now use these two experiences as references to make a judgement as to whether what you are thinking about is creating anxiety or excitement by seeing whether your body rocks forwards or backwards.
Give it a go – it’s fascinating!!!!
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