Thoughts, Feelings and Emotions, what’s the difference?

These days, psychology is paying much more attention to the mind-body connection as thoughts, feelings, and emotions aren't just mental experiences; they also affect our physical well-being and behavior. For instance, chronic negative thoughts and emotions can contribute to stress, which in turn can weaken the immune system and increase the risk of illnesses. 

Modern psychology also recognizes the influence of unconscious thoughts, feelings, and emotions on our behavior. These can originate from past experiences, biases, education, and early childhood development. Finally, mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and phobias are recognized as significant problems. 

These conditions often involve distorted thinking patterns and negative emotions. Most people often get confused by the difference between thoughts, feeling and emotions as they’re often used interchangeably, when we don’t remember which is what.

Thoughts are cognitive processes that involve perception, reasoning, and memory. They are more logical and rational, and they are influenced by our experiences, beliefs, and values. On the other hand, feelings and emotions are actually two different sensations that are somehow connected. Emotions originate as sensations in the body and are real-time data. Feelings can be more biased as they’re influenced by our emotions but are also generated from our mental thoughts. 

Let’s keep in mind that all of these concepts are interrelated. A thought can trigger a feeling, which can then develop into a full-blown emotion. Understanding these differences and their mechanisms can help us improve our self-awareness and manage your reactions more effectively. 

To me all these definitions and explanations are leaving much to be desired and I’m still looking for something more simpler and easier to understand. I think everyone is confused as this (poor) example aimed at helping us illustrating the connection: 

• Thoughts are like the seeds you plant in your garden. 
• Feelings are like the sprouts that emerge from the seeds. 
• Emotions are the full-grown plants that result from seeds and sprouts, influenced by many factors. 

I don’t quite buy that. Is there a much better story to tell?