How we can experience our emotions and how different emotions involve different systems for processing them and our reactions to them. Different emotional processing systems. Understanding how our emotions are processed will help us learn to treat ourselves with warmth and kindness. Especially when things may not be going as well as we hoped. Threat System. A protective system that turns on when some danger is detected and you need to respond to it. Or very critical thoughts towards yourself. Typical emotions for this system are fear, anger or disgust. Incentive system. Triggers our actions. It helps us pursue our goals, directs our desires to their realization. When it is active and we really want something, we are motivated, anticipating pleasure and enjoyment from the realization of this goal and desire. We experience delight, a surge of strength, excitement. It may be that the incentive system is working very weakly, this can deprive us of energy, vitality, and motivation. 3. Calming system. When there is no need to deal with threats and we are happy and satisfied with everything. Then we feel safe, relaxed, calm. The reassurance system can regulate the threat and incentive system. These systems constantly interact with each other. And they determine our current state. And they are all important, the threat system turns off when we need to activate and defend ourselves. The incentive system provides an opportunity for movement and self-development without getting stuck in place. The calming system regulates reactions to threat or excessive pursuit of goals. The calming system is very important for regulating our attitude towards ourselves or the situations that surround us. And it has a lot to do with kindness, self-care and support. I wrote the following articles on these topics. Self-care Self-criticism Kindness The calming system can give us that very balance of these systems. And when they act and react in harmony, it is easier and simpler for us to live. If we constantly only criticize ourselves, then the system of threats with its companion emotions, anxiety, fear, anger will be turned on. By treating yourself with kindness and care, the calming system will actively operate, which will neutralize the system of threats..