Threats and rewards signal emotions and emotional regulation guide us in the right direction, much like a compass. When we self-regulate, we are encouraged to slow down between feelings and reactions and act after assessing a situation objectively. A child who yells at his or her friends and hits them for petty reasons has less emotional control than a child who tells their teacher about their problems before hitting or yelling.
- Being self-aware:Feelings can be explored by giving yourself some options. Try to name the specific feelings you can feel at that moment, and if you like, write them down. As of this point, you don’t need to act or judge the causes and effects of your emotional regulation; you need to be aware of all the feelings dominating your mind.
- Being aware of your thoughts:Our bodies, as well as our thoughts, are very important to our well-being. Mindfulness allows us to be more aware of our bodies, as well as our thoughts.
- Reappraisal of cognition:A cognitive reappraisal involves altering our thoughts, which is essential to psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and anger management, and requires greater acceptance and flexibility. In cognitive reappraisal, we can look at stressful situations from a completely different perspective through thought replacement or situational role reversals.
- Being adaptable:The effect of emotional dysregulation on our adaptive ability to change is that we become more prone to distractions and unable to use our coping mechanisms, which is why we often begin to resist change. Objective evaluation is a great exercise to help with adaptability development.
- Embrace self-compassion:You can greatly affect how you feel and react to emotions by taking time each day to reflect on your talents and virtues.
- Support on an emotional level:Our mental energy can be saved from being invested in negativity if we practice mindful self-awareness, which can help us build a robust emotional repertoire. By engaging in positive communication with others or mindful self-awareness, we can seek emotional support within ourselves.