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Why is Emotion Regulation important? People are exposed to a variety of emotionally evocative situations more or less on a daily basis. In order to proceed toward certain goals, such as maintaining friendships or completing challenging homework, we sometimes need to curtail those strong emotions.
Emotions are often described as the 'essence of life' Emotions help us to interpret the world Emotions enable communication Emotions can interfere with cognition Impact memory, decision-making, problem-solving, judgment Emotions contribute to health state (direct impact on immune system) Emotional regulation is essential to occupational performance
o Shaping of emotions one has, when one has them, and how one experiences and expresses them. Intrinsic and extrinsic table • Negative emotion, decrease o Trying to calm oneself down when angry (Int) o Helping a tearful child untangle his kite (Ext) • Negative emotion, increase o Firing oneself up before a big game (Int) o Reframing a friend's "little fight" with a spouse is serious (Ext ...
Jan 11, 2023 · Be a team: For kids who are struggling to learn emotion regulation, consistency is key. “It’s really important for parents, grandparents, teachers, and other caregivers to work together to address a child’s self-regulation problems,” Lochman said. “Sit down to chat and plan a coordinated approach to handling the child’s behaviors.”
- Why Is Emotional Regulation Important?
- What Is Emotion Dysregulation?
- What Causes Poor Emotional Regulation?
- The Cycle of Distress
- Breaking The Distress Cycle
- Skills For Regulating Emotions
- References
Being able to regulate emotions is important since our emotions are closely connected to how we think and feel. Our thoughts and feelings help us to decide how best to respond to a situation and what action we should take. Essentially, emotional regulation can influence behavior. Learning skills to regulate our emotions means that, instead of actin...
It is common for people to occasionally use less-than-ideal emotional regulation strategies. However, individuals who regularly experience overwhelming, intense, negative emotions are much more likely to rely on unhealthy strategies. Imagine a scenario where one of your friends does not turn up for a pre-arranged lunch with you. Instead of consider...
Having poor emotional regulation often comes from childhood. Below are some possible causes for why someone may struggle with regulating their emotions:
Wanting to minimize or avoid strong and negative emotions is part of what is often called a ‘cycle of shame.’ This pattern often looks like the Experimental Avoidance Model by Chapman, Gratz, & Brown(2006). This model explains that self-harm is primarily maintained by negative reinforcement in the form of escape or avoidance of unwanted emotional e...
Changing any part of the cycle can interfere with the pattern and lead to more positive thoughts and feelings. Techniques such as those employed in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)can help you learn how to understand and work with the relationship between your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Learn to pay attention to the way the thought-emotio...
1. Name the emotion
Attempting to avoid unpleasant thoughts and feelings can actually result in more unwanted negative thoughts and feelings. Rather than avoiding unpleasant emotions, acknowledge their presence and name them specifically. It can be helpful to say out loud or think to yourself, ‘I am feeling sad/angry/afraid. If you are uncertain about what emotion you are feeling, you can use a ‘Feelings Wheel,’ which displays many of the primary and secondary emotions one may feel. Naming the emotion often lead...
2. Recognize and understand the emotion
It makes sense to believe that people who are unclear about their emotions are also less aware and less clear about their psychological needs. A way in which you can become more aware of what you are feeling is to pay attention to what you are experiencing physiologically in your body. For instance, you may have an unsettled feeling in your stomach when feeling anxious,or you may feel a tightness in your chest if you are feeling sad.
3. Validate the emotion
It is key to recognize that your emotions are present for a valid reason and that they are telling you something. Practice self-compassion and give yourself support for the unpleasant emotions you are experiencing. Understand that feeling strong negative emotions are a normal part of life. Try to breathe into the experience of your emotions. You can soothe hurt feelings by placing a hand over your body where you feel this experience, then breathe slowly into this area. Inquire within as to wh...
Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010). Emotion-regulation strategies across psychopathology: A meta-analytic review. Clinical psychology review, 30(2), 217-237. Chapman, A. L., Gratz, K. L., & Brown, M. Z. (2006). Solving the puzzle of deliberate self-harm: The experiential avoidance model. Behaviour research and therapy, 44(3), 371...
Aug 29, 2014 · Emotions function like a compass, signaling rewards and threats in the environment.However, this compass is far from infallible. In fact, it is relatively easy for it to point us in the wrong ...
Emotion regulation is the ability to exert control over one’s own emotional state. It may involve behaviors such as rethinking a challenging situation to reduce anger or anxiety, hiding visible ...
