exploring the emotion of surprise.
Imagine yourself driving down the road. And an animal comes out of nowhere, much to your surprise. You slam on your breaks, the animal passes, and you begin to drive again. Within a few seconds, that feeling of surprise goes away and you feel relief that you didn’t hit it. Your brain and body move forward. Has this ever happened to you? A loud noise, a car screeching to a halt, or a balloon popping also ignites the emotion of surprise. As a therapist in Ogden Utah, when I hear about the surprise I learn a few things about a client. Let’s dive into what the emotion of surprise is.
The function of Surprise.
Surprise is the briefest of emotions. It passes within a few seconds. We can talk about a surprise after the moment but in the initial moment, it does pass within a few seconds. Take this for example – your partner plans a surprise birthday dinner. You walk in shocked and surprised to see everyone. Within a few seconds, you realize you are safe. You think, "everyone is here to celebrate me." This then moves the emotion to relief and joy.
Feeling surprised focuses our attention.
This allows us to determine what is happening and whether we are in danger or not. At that moment, surprise can feel good or bad. After we figure out what happened the emotion of surprise can change to relief, disgust, or scared. Or we can experience no emotion if the situation had no consequence to us.
How does surprise show up in the body -
- Jaw drops
- An audible gasp
- Eyebrows raise
- Head moves
- Body tenses
- Sometimes step backward
- Sometimes we lift our arms
How does surprise show up in my counseling office.
Surprise is interesting because as stated it passes so quickly. Yet, clients talk about a surprise. Some of my clients hate surprises. They never want their partner to surprise them. The feeling for them is uncomfortable and they ask those around them to not put them in those situations.
I have other clients who love a good surprise. They will put themselves in situations and tell everyone they know that they don’t want to plan. They want things to be sprung on them. Either of these ways of approaching surprise is totally fine. Just be curious with if you love a good surprise or not.
The important part is that my clients learn how to navigate and communicate their needs.
That they learn to set boundaries in healthy ways to let people know what they do or do not like when it comes to surprises they can control. This is some of the work we do and this is what I learn when it comes to the emotion of surprise.
Not all surprises can be controlled. It is important to remember that the emotion of surprise is the briefest and to breathe knowing it will pass.
If you are needing help navigating your needs around surprise reach out today.
As one of the many counselors in Ogden Utah, I am here to help you on your journey. Knowing what you like and don’t like is a key to mental wellness.
I specialize in trauma therapy and PTSD Treatment, high-functioning depression, anxiety therapy and stress relief, and body-brain-based therapies such as Brainspotting therapy and EMDR. I am excited to hear from you and connect with you. Contact today!
