Find out why you smile when they smile at you and suffer from other people's stress

he The power of feelings Undeniably, the ability to influence others is an inherent trait. he Emotional infection Is a phenomenon that reflects this concept, because it refers to Convey emotions and moods from a person to another.

One of the most common examples of emotional contagion is Tendency to smile when someone else smiles. This response is automatic and natural, and is due to the human being’s capacity for it Imitating other people’s facial expressions. Seeing another person’s smile, the brain sends a signal to the facial muscles that cause the smile. This phenomenon, known as facial imitationIt is the basis of emotional infection.

Now, emotional contagion is not limited to positive feelings, such as joy and happiness. It can also happen with negative feelingsLike stress and anxiety. So, if someone close to you is feeling stressed or in a state of distress for any reason, they might be They unconsciously absorb their negative emotions and experience the same stress and painIt causes physical and emotional symptoms such as headache, fatigue and irritability.

The concept of emotional contagion can be divided into two types:

he Implicit emotional infection It happens unconsciously, as people can become aware and Mirroring facial expressions, body language, words, and nonverbal cues to others without them even realizing it. In addition, people can unwittingly influence the feelings of others with their behavior, gestures, and mood.

he Explicit emotional infectionOn the contrary, it is a A conscious effort to capture one’s own feelings in order to evoke similar feelings in others. That is, to be happy so that others are also happy.

Why is emotional contagion important?

For starters, it’s a Natural and automatic process It cannot be fully controlled, as the brain is programmed to mimic the feelings and behaviors of those around it. Hence, being aware of this process can help take measures to avoid passive infection and Encouraging positive feelings in self and others.

In addition, emotional infection Important implications when interacting socially. For example, science has shown that emotional infection can occur The influence of group dynamics, which causes members of the same team to share emotional experiences. This may be useful in certain contextssuch as promoting teamwork and cooperation, but it can also lead to negative results if the shared feelings are negative.

Emotional infection also plays a role. A critical role in empathyIt is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. When you make an emotional contagion, you’re basically sharing the feelings of those around you, so you can Empathize with their experiences and perspectives. Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve a Greater understanding and stronger relationshipswhich are essential for social and emotional well-being.