Self-awareness and Self-regulation

Recently, I felt like I was losing my grip on my internal world. I was experiencing terrible mood swings with a mixed feeling of irritation, anxiety, and heaviness. Without knowing the "why" behind them, I became hyper-sensitive to any unwanted stimuli like noise. I wasn't just feeling my emotions, actually I was being consumed by them.

To regain control, I leaned into self-regulation through two specific ways.

First, I started journaling, but with a specific structure. I created a table to map out what and why I’m feeling:

• Stimulus: What exactly happened? (e.g., a specific tone of voice, a deadline).

• Emotion: What did I feel?

• Reaction: How did I behave?

This actually helping me identify patterns I previously couldn't see.

Secondly, I just started practicing this so it might not be perfect, but I’m trying to view the situation as if I were a "third wheel". Instead of saying "I am angry," I would think, "I am observing a person who is feeling frustrated because of something." By treating it like a story I was listening to a member on 7 cups, I think I would be helpful to remove the bias and to calm down.

When you feel a strong emotion rising, what is one physical or mental cue you use to identify what you’re feeling? For example, I tend to cry when I’m MAD.

I’ve already seen so many good tips on this forum! Maybe I should try some of those :)