5 Ways To Practice Emotional Regulation (7 Cups DBTuesday Masterpost Included Inside!)

Peace and light beloved Cupsters ✨️ Thank you for your interest in yet another discussion topic from the desk of La Siren 🫖☕️

Emotions are a normal aspect of life. They come and they go, but what happens when we feel as though our emotions are taking over or even overwhelming us? While we can't entirely control our emotions, we can manage them such that we maintain control. This is referred to as emotional self-regulation.

What is "emotional regulation"?

Emotional regulation is the capacity to recognize, comprehend, and make use of your emotions to ease stress, address issues, and interact with others. A trusted medical 2014 study suggests that lower levels of sadness and stress-related physical illness are associated with greater emotional regulation skills. These skills enable you to more effectively identify, understand, and control your emotions in everyday situations.

Today, I'd like the opportunity to share this interesting article from "Psych Central" (Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD). Here, the author provides us with 5 ways to practice emotional regulation to effectively reduce stress, solve problems, and relate to others:

1) Label the emotion. Knowing exactly how we're feeling enables us to express ourselves more clearly to others and let go of challenging feelings with good grace.

2) Be OK with uncertainty. I invite you to complete the wonderful exercise included inside this "Psych Central" article (Medically reviewed by Bethany Juby, PsyD) to help ease the fear that uncertainty may induce.

3) Take the opposite action. - The author makes mention of a therapy type known as Dialectic behavioral therapy (DBT). "Taking opposite action" is one of the DBT's core ideas. This means that you act in ways that are consistent with the opposite of the emotion you are experiencing. A little lost here? I'd love to share with you all the 7 Cups DBTuesday Masterpost for DBT resources and self help modules to further help you, step by step, in incorporating Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) into your emotional regulation practice. Emotional Regulation is covered in Module 3.

4) Get to the core of anger. The next time you feel angry (or another strong emotion), attempt to determine why you're feeling that way.

• Is it predicated on the idea that someone was acting maliciously? Give them the benefit of the doubt if you can.

• Are you angry enough to warrant a strong response? If so, do something to fix the issue rather than losing your cool. This is a very self reflective technique of emotional regulation.

5) Self care. Lastly, I'd love to invite you all to examine a later discussion post of mine on "Why Self Love Is Not Selfish, It Is Nourishment".  The post includes various tips on self care, its importance in your overall well being, and why its supporting components are all an act of self nourishment, not selfishness.

Thank you for reaching the end of this post ✨️🍪🍪🍪 Whether privately or to share, I invite you all to reflect on the 5 ways to practice emotional regulation that were shared:

1. What are your thoughts on these practices, are you receptive to considering one of the five steps to better support yourself and the ones you love?

2. Which steps appeal to you the most?

3. Are you already actively practicing emotional regulation techniques? If so, what motivates you to remain consistent?

Interested in a weekly group discussion on Anxiety Support and various ways of getting support for your anxiety? I invite you to join me Wednesdays at 7pm Eastern Time Zone in the Support Sessions room where I will be hosting Anxiety Support Sessions, typically runs an hour long 💙

Interested in an overall boost of motivation or encouragement towards living a Healthy lifestyle? Join me Sundays at 6pm Eastern Time Zone in the Healthy Living Room 💙

Photo credits to Brittani Burns @ unsplash.com

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