If you’ve noticed that you often experience intense emotions such as anger, sadness and anxiety, but are unable to deal with them, you may have a problem with regulating your emotions. The reason why it’s important to learn to regulate your emotions is because it may be a symptom of a mental health condition or a psychiatric disorder. If you don’t address this issue, you may continue to struggle with your emotions, and continue to look for ways to avoid experiencing them, such as substance abuse, addictive behaviors, or even self harm and suicide ideation.
On the other hand, learning to regulate your emotions can create an overall feeling of well being in general, and specifically be able to address intense emotions when they do come up.
The many benefits of regulating your emotions:
- Decreased stress
- Decreased anxiety
- A balanced state of mind
- Enhanced problem solving capability
- Improved decision making
- Avoiding regrettable situations
- Addressing conflicts in a healthy way
- Having better relationships
- Improved performance at work
- Alternatives to substance use/abuse
- Improved overall health
4 Ways to Regulate Emotions
Get to know your emotions
Often, as soon as we encounter anything uncomfortable we immediately shy away from how it feels within and what it represents. If we can recognize that emotions are simply information that our bodies and minds are providing, we can look at our emotions from an objective point of view, and recognize what we are feeling and why.
Label your emotions
Once you start noticing your emotions, the next step is to recognize what those emotions are trying to say to you. You can observe how they feel and give them a name. Giving your emotions a label helps the mind feel a bit more at ease, and reduces your stress levels.
Have compassion for yourself
When we are on a negative spiral it’s easy to keep piling on all the things that are wrong with ourselves and the circumstances around ourselves. Creating a daily ritual to remind ourselves of all gifts, talents and strengths that we possess is a good way to combat the negativity, reinforcing positive thoughts and thought patterns.
Get therapy
Psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy and other therapies in individual or group settings can be a great way to recognize, understand and learn how to regulate your emotions better and develop a holistic way of life that is healthy for both the mind and the body.
Get the help you need
If you are ready to address the deeper roots of your addiction and mental health conditions, start today. It is possible to change the direction of your life by taking this first step.
Reach out to learn more! 865-800-0947
