Where Emotions Are Felt in the Body

We’ve all felt the rosy warm of pride, the burn of embarrassment. Why do we feel emotions in different parts of the body?

It’s fascinating to think about where on our bodies we feel emotion.

Much of it comes from our autonomic nervous System (ANS) responses: The ANS, which includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, plays a crucial role in the physical experience of emotions. For example, anxiety can trigger the “fight or flight” response, leading to increased heart rate, sweating, and tension in muscles, particularly those in the chest and stomach areas.

This infographic below shows us where different emotions in the body are felt.

Illustration by Maya Chastain.