We all experience emotions whether joy, fear, sadness or even being guilty. Every human emotion has a purpose. Some bring happiness, other keep us safe and still, others allow to understand us better. As such, emotions are part of healthy and normal life.

Emotions change over time, and so does our ability to manage the intensity of our feelings. Each day we encounter many emotionally stimulating situations that determine our behavioral responses.

When things go well, it’s natural to feel excited, joyful and satisfied. On the contrary, when situations are challenging we get upset and shout about how unfair things are. Staying calm and processing on what had happened seems a monumental task.

Yes, for many of us, controlling and regulating emotions can be one of the most challenging aspects of daily functioning.  

Given the stressful situation, it is normal to feel a wide range of emotions, and when faced with unpleasant, we need to learn to regulate our emotions to feel lighter.

Human beings, especially adults are expected to manage their emotions in a socially acceptable way. This helps us to achieve two things. First, situation begins to feel in under control, which helps to make better choices. And second, our social relationship gets to improve. 

Yes, our ability to regulate our emotional responses can affect our relationship with family, friends and colleague at the workplace.

Emotional regulation is more than behaving well

Emotional regulation is not just about suppressing our feelings and behaving well. It is not all about learning the art of self-control. But the reality is it’s so much more than that.

It is rather about identifying emotional triggers, acknowledging our feelings and taking pause before responding to situation. 

For many of us, intense emotions like anger, anxiety and sadness may feel too big to handle. We need to understand and modulate our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. 

Consciously directing our attention to fact-checking help us to reframe our thoughts. Taking time to rethink about the situation in a non-judgmental way helps to reduce fear and anxiety. Nurturing and nourishing our thoughts permits us to tolerate discomfort in healthy ways. 

Simply put, when we change our relationship with our thoughts, it influenced emotional experience and shifts our attention. The end result could be absolutely transformative.

Thus, emotional regulation is the ability to control our own emotional state. It is the capacity to recognize and control strong emotions i.e. thoughts, feelings and actions and respond with appropriate behaviors in various social setting.

The whole process allows us to figure out why we feel the way we do, what are other ways to evaluate and navigate tricky situations effectively. 

In fact, emotional regulation often contributes to a sense of control. When we learn to regulate our emotions instead of acting impulsively, we are able to find healthy ways of dealing with challenges. 

It’s tempting to think that emotional regulation is as simple as taking medication. But this is not the case. It’s the moment-to-moment decision how we process our thoughts, and react to situation. Therefore, this skill is difficult to harness. 

The process of development of emotional regulation is not always enjoyable. We may have hard time understanding why some of our responses work and some don’t.

Building emotional regulation is lifelong journey. It’s all about getting to know how our mind think and how to change our thoughts.

Disclaimer 

Mediclin Brain Health’s content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.