Most of us were taught to see emotions as a problem. That they make us weak. Irrational. “Too much.”

So we tried to control them. To toughen up. To act like feelings were distractions we should rise above.

But here’s the truth:

Emotions were never the problem.

They are part of the body’s original guidance system — as real and essential as hunger, pain, or fatigue.

They tell us what’s happening inside us, and between us, long before words can.

Why Emotions Feel So Different at Different Times

The same emotion can feel completely different depending on what mode is active.

The reason emotions can feel calm one day and overwhelming the next isn’t random. It’s because emotions move through two different nervous system states:

• When the body feels safe → emotions guide connection.
• When the body feels threatened → emotions fuel protection.