Emotions don't happen in a vacuum. Understanding the context — what's happening, what just happened, and what's about to happen — helps you predict and understand others' emotional states.

Before: What events led up to this moment? Did they just receive bad news? Did they accomplish something?

During: What's happening right now? Is this a stressful situation? A celebration? A routine moment?

After: What's coming next? Are they anticipating something exciting or dreading something?