Emotional REGULATION SKILLS
Emotional regulation skills help individuals manage intense emotions in healthy and constructive ways.
Emotional regulation is the ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in a healthy, balanced way. It involves recognizing what you're feeling, understanding where it's coming from, and choosing how to express or cope with that emotion. Rather than suppressing or being overwhelmed by emotions, emotional regulation helps individuals stay grounded and make thoughtful decisions - event in stressful or triggering situations. Try some of these emotional regulation skills next time you experience intense emotions:
1. deep breathing 🌬️
-
Slow, controlled breathing calms the nervous system.
-
Example: Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 6.
2. Name the emotion 🧠
-
Simply identifying what you're feeling ("I feel angry," "I'm anxious) reduces the intensity and increases your control. Naming emotions has the ability to take away its power.
3. Reframing Thoughts 💭
-
Challenge unhelpful or distorted thoughts (e.g., "This always happens"→ "This is hard, but I can handle it").
4. Journaling 📝
-
Writing out thoughts and feelings can bring clarity and reduce feeling emotionally overwhelmed. We can't write as fast as we think so journaling forces us to "sit" with our emotions and process through them.
5. Grounding Techniques 🧍♂️
-
Engage the senses to stay in the present (e.g., the 5-4-3-2-1 technique: name 5 things you see, 4 things you feel, 3 things you hear, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you can taste).
7. Use of Temperature or Movement 🧊
-
Physical interventions like holding ice or going for a walk can reset one's emotional state.
8. Talk to someone 🤝
-
Sharing emotions with a safe person brings perspective and connection, while also reducing the intensity of the emotion.
9. Set Boundaries 🎯
-
Recognizing triggers and maintaining limits with people or situations protects emotional balance.
10. Engage in healthy distractions 🎨
-
Doing something soothing or fun (music, art, hobbies) gives time for emotions to settle before reacting. It's still important to revisit the emotion and your thoughts after using your healthy distraction.
