How to regulate emotions?

How to regulate emotions: Regulating emotions is all about pausing between reacting and feelings. It enables us to slow down for a bit and act objectively in evaluating a situation. Another huge part of emotional regulation is value engagement.

When we react without paying much attention to what is going on inside, we might often divert from our heart values and act in a way that is opposing to them. With proper regulation and self-control, we gain the power to stay calm under pressurized situations and control ourselves from acting against our core ethics and values.

How to regulate emotions:

Increase self-awareness

Noticing what you feel and giving it a name is a great step toward emotional regulation. Give yourself some choices and analyze your feelings. Try to name the specific emotions that you can feel great within yourself at that very moment, and note them down if you want. You do not need to act or judge the reason and effect of your emotions; all you need is full awareness of each feeling that is regulating your mind.

Mindful awareness

In addition to acquiring thought awareness, mindfulness lets us analyze all aspects of the outer world, including our bodies. Simple mindful exercises such as breath control or relaxation can calm the storm that is going on inside and guide our actions in the right way.

Cognitive reappraisal

Cognitive reappraisal includes changing the way we think. This skills may include practices such as thinking replacement or situational role reverses, where we try to look into a stressful situation from a whole new outlook.

Adaptability

Emotional dysregulation reduces our adaptability to life transformations. We become more inclined to distractions and fail our coping tools, which is why we often start opposing changes. A great exercise to produce adaptability is factual evaluation.

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Self-compassion

Setting aside some time for ourselves every day is an excellent way to make emotional regulation skills. Reminding ourselves of our talents and virtues, and letting our minds land on a flexible space can significantly alter the way we sense and respond to our emotions.

Emotional support

We can pursue emotional support within ourselves by rehearsing mindful self-awareness or can seek support outside by immersing in positive communication with others.

Keep a mood diary

Writing down your feelings and the reactions they trigger can help you uncover patterns. Sometimes, it is enough to mentally outline emotions back through your thoughts. Putting your feelings on paper can permit you to reflect on them more intensely. It also helps you identify when typical circumstances, like trouble at work or family conflict, add to harder-to-control emotions. Identify such triggers and make it possible to come up with ways to manage them more productively. Journaling delivers the most help when you do it daily. 

At the end

It is fine to see a therapist when our inner coping methods fail; the sole focus is to create a positive emotional shield that can channel our feelings to fetch out the best in us.