"These days, there is more emotional labor than there is physical labor"
Arlie Hochschild, PhD

Welcome to the Science of Emotions and become an emotions scientist!  
This is a science-based approach to learning about emotions.  I am defining emotions and how they impact our biology and decision-making. 

Emotions should not be mysterious. These are states that our bodies get into to prepare us for the moment. We are human and everyone has them. Some emotions, however, are rarely discussed.

Talking about the definitions of these emotions removes the mystery behind them, and can help with better communication and self-talk. Post covid, it is my hope that families can have a collective understanding of each other's emotions. 

"An emotional scientist can pause and asks: “what am I reacting to?" 
Marc Brackett, PhD

Surprise is the quickest and shortest emotion, but there is a very important scientific explanation why we have this emotion.  

Fear is a necessary emotion that protects us from danger.  But because we are not worried about lions or bears eating us, we deal with another form of fear in the modern world, called anxiety. These emotions effect our nervous system by activating fight/flight reactions. 

Sometimes we tell each other to "not be sad". Sadness is seen as a negative emotion, however, it is important for human development.  Of course, I do not encourage feeling sad all the time, but I would like to ensure learners that sadness is a very normal emotion and that sadness fosters connection (From learner to parent, for example).

Love cannot be properly defined by science at this point in time, but it remains the most primitive human emotion that fosters meaning in our lives. We discuss the 3 types of love, and why this emotion gives us meaning to our lives.

First, we explore the science of shame. There is a hidden feature of shame, it loves silence, and it thrives in it. In this class, we combat shame by spotlighting this very common emotion. 

Empathy is the ability to listen to others, and show understanding. It is a simple concept, but many young learners have not heard of this word, and therefore cannot engage in this emotion without the knowledge of its existence. I define these 2 emotions and how it relates to our biology.

All emotions have a trigger, as does anger.  But what is not common understanding is that other emotions can compound to create anger.  Jealousy, rejection, or disgust can contribute to our nervous system needing a release, which can culminate to anger. 

Disgust is a useful emotion that protects our bodies from getting contaminated, but it also has social implications. 

Hope is one of the most studied words right now in the scientific field.  Billions of dollars are being poured into discovering how and why people feel hopeful.  It is customary to think that hope is simply something you can say to express well wishes to others.  But this is not hope, it is called a wish.  I break down what is necessary to feel hopeful, encouraging learners to break down their pursuits into easily achievable goals. 

Curiosity is an emotion that engages learners, and I encourage learners to zone in on their interests and passions.  Here, I show media that will engage their curious brains and then draw a connection to their interests. 


This class is taught using a space-themed PowerPoint presentation and the animation software After Effects.  The presentation is animation based and does not look like a common PowerPoint.  There are many pictures and animations to keep the learner engaged. 
I created a character called Motion.  It is a translucent 3D character that has a nervous system.  The nervous system changes colors depending on the emotion. You can see Motion on the thumbnail picture for this class!

If you have reached this far, I would like to thank you for considering boosting the emotional intelligence of your learners and therefore your family.  Learners are our future, and the family unit is the building block of our society.  Boosting awareness in the family unit is boosting our collective awareness.

It's time to become Emotions Scientists.