Emotions, Schmotions: Your Guide to Emotion Regulation

This post is the first in a series of five discussing emotion regulation. Together, this forms a beginner's guide to emotion regulation. After explaining the basic concept of emotion regulation (part I), we discuss the fundamental skills (part II). We review common barriers to regulating emotions after reviewing cognitive (part III) and behavioural skills (part IV). So, if you are in the mood to improve your emotional intelligence, read on!

Part 1: What the Heck is Emotion Regulation?

Numerous studies demonstrated the adverse psychological effects of pandemic policies like forced isolation, lockdowns, and school closures (1). These policies resulted in the general population experiencing increased symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stress. Such drastic measures lead to increased engagement in unhealthy behaviours like increased disrupted sleep, consumption of substances and emotional eating (1). Effects were more pronounced if you were female, young, belonged to a lower income bracket or had preexisting health conditions (1).  Policies more negatively impacted mental health conditions than physical health conditions (1).

Effects were more pronounced if you were female, young, belonged to a lower income bracket or had preexisting health conditions (1).  Policies more negatively impacted mental health conditions than physical health conditions (1).

Do you feel your well-being declined due to COVID-19 pandemic policies like forced isolation, lockdowns, and school closures?

• Yes, my physical health declined.
• Yes, my mental health declined.
• Yes, my mental health declined more than my physical health.
• Yes, my physical health declined more than my mental health.

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The study found that those who exercised more emotion regulation did not engage in unhealthy behaviours as often as those who were more emotionally dysregulated. (1) This is good motivation to strengthen your emotion regulation skills because life is unpredictable, and strong skills can improve health outcomes.

Emotion Regulation Defined

Emotional regulation is managing and controlling one's emotions effectively in response to various situations, stimuli, or internal experiences (1). It involves metacognitive awareness, recognizing, understanding, and modulating one's current emotional state and implementing a response that involves effective problem-solving and acceptance strategies (2). The behaviours we choose in these emotionally charged moments directly affect our psychological well-being and influence how adaptively we navigate social interactions.

Emotional regulation encompasses a range of strategies and skills to regulate the intensity, duration, and expression of emotions, allowing individuals to respond appropriately to challenges, stressors, and interpersonal dynamics.

Effective emotional regulation fosters emotional stability, resilience, and healthy coping mechanisms, contributing to overall mental well-being and improved interpersonal functioning. Cardi et al. divide emotion regulation into two approaches.

The first is cognitive reappraisal, a cognitive skill that involves thinking about your experience differently. It is a technique where you change your perspective on a situation to alter its emotional impact. For example, imagine you're feeling anxious about giving a presentation. Instead of thinking, "Everyone will judge me," you reframe it as "This is a great opportunity to share my ideas and learn." If your partner breaks up with you, you could think that no one loves you and you'll be alone forever (Ouch!!). Or, you could see it as an opportunity to focus on your priorities, develop your sense of self, and find someone who is a better match (Yay!) Shifting your perspective from negative to more positive or neutral reduces the emotional distress, making the situation seem more manageable. It isn't about finding a silver lining but finding an opportunity for growth and using it as a guide when choosing your subsequent actions.

The second consists of suppression of emotions through downregulation and reducing behavioural and experiential responses (1).  It is an emotion regulation strategy used to decrease the intensity of negative emotions such as anger, anxiety, or sadness. It involves deliberately altering your thoughts, behaviours, or physiological responses to calm yourself in stressful situations. Techniques like deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or distraction help manage emotional arousal, making it easier to think clearly and avoid impulsive reactions. Individuals can respond more effectively to challenges by downregulating emotions rather than being overwhelmed by their feelings. An example of emotion downregulation is when you're angry after an argument and consciously take steps to calm yourself down. Instead of reacting impulsively, you might take deep breaths, count to ten, or step away from the situation to give yourself time to cool off. This intentional act of reducing the intensity of your emotional response helps you gain control and respond more thoughtfully rather than letting the emotion dictate your actions.

Cardi et al. found that cognitive reappraisal was associated with increased positive experiences. In contrast, emotion downregulation decreased positive experiences while increasing negative ones, (1) further supporting the idea that how we respond to our emotions affects our health outcomes.

Benefits of Emotion Regulation

Here are some key reasons why emotion regulation is essential:

1. Stress Management: Effective emotion regulation helps individuals adapt to stressors and challenges. By regulating emotional responses, individuals can prevent the escalation of stress and avoid adverse outcomes associated with chronic stress, such as anxiety, depression, and physical health problems.

2. Relationship Management: Emotional regulation is essential for navigating interpersonal interactions and maintaining healthy relationships. It enables individuals to express themselves calmly and assertively, resolve conflicts constructively, and empathize with others' perspectives. By regulating emotions, individuals can avoid impulsive or aggressive behaviours that may damage relationships.

3. Enhanced Decision Making: Emotions often influence decision-making processes. With proper emotion regulation, individuals can make decisions more thoughtfully and rationally, considering their emotional responses and logical reasoning. Thoughtfully responding instead of impulsively reacting leads to better choices and outcomes in various life domains, including personal, professional, and social settings.

4. Increased Resilience: Emotional regulation fosters resilience by equipping individuals with the tools to bounce back from setbacks and adversity. Instead of being overwhelmed by negative emotions, resilient individuals can regulate their emotional responses, maintain optimism, and problem-solve effectively, thus adapting to challenges more successfully.

5. Affects Mental Well-being: Poor emotional regulation is associated with various mental health issues, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and impulse control disorders (2). Conversely, well-developed emotional regulation skills contribute to better mental health outcomes, such as reduced symptoms of psychological distress and improved overall psychological functioning

   
   

Overall, emotional regulation is essential for promoting psychological resilience, fostering healthy relationships, and navigating life's challenges effectively. Individuals can enhance their well-being and lead more fulfilling lives by developing and practicing emotion regulation skills.

Signs of Effective Emotion Regulation

Signs of effective emotional regulation can manifest in various behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. Here are some indicators that an individual may be successfully regulating their emotions:

1. Adaptive Coping Strategies: Individuals adept at emotional regulation employ adaptive coping strategies to manage challenging situations. They may use techniques such as deep breathing, mindfulness, or problem-solving to calm themselves and address the underlying causes of their emotions.

2. Flexibility in Emotional Responses: Individuals with strong emotional regulation skills demonstrate flexibility in their emotional responses rather than reacting impulsively or explosively to triggers. They can acknowledge and accept their emotions without being overwhelmed, allowing for a more measured and constructive reaction.

3. Empathy and Understanding: Emotion regulation involves managing your own emotions and understanding and empathizing with the feelings of others. It's about fostering connection and compassion, even in emotionally charged situations, leading to more effective communication and conflict resolution.

4. Consistent Mood: While it's normal to experience fluctuations in mood, individuals with effective emotional regulation typically exhibit a relatively stable emotional baseline. They are less likely to experience extreme highs and lows and can maintain a sense of equilibrium even during stress or adversity.

5. Healthy Boundaries: Emotion regulation often goes hand in hand with setting and maintaining healthy boundaries in relationships. Individuals who regulate their emotions well can assert their needs and preferences while respecting the boundaries of others, leading to more balanced and harmonious interactions.

6. Problem-Solving Skills: Rather than dwelling on negative emotions or feeling overwhelmed, emotionally regulated individuals are more inclined to engage in constructive problem-solving. They can identify practical steps to address the source of their distress and take action to resolve conflicts or challenges.

7. Self-Reflection and Insight: Emotional regulation involves a degree of self-awareness and introspection. Individuals who regulate their emotions effectively can often reflect on their emotional experiences, identify patterns or triggers, and gain insights into their thought processes and behaviour.

   
   

Overall, signs of emotional regulation include coping adaptively with stressors, flexibility in emotional responses, empathy towards others, consistent mood, healthy boundaries, problem-solving skills, and self-awareness. These indicators suggest that individuals can manage their emotions constructively, leading to improved well-being and interpersonal functioning.

Your Guide to Emotion Regulation (Part I): Summary

In the wake of global challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of emotion regulation has never been clearer. This first installment of our five-part series delves into emotion regulation and why it's crucial for mental health, particularly in times of stress and uncertainty. We examine how the lack of emotion regulation can lead to adverse outcomes like increased anxiety, depression, and unhealthy behaviours, as highlighted by recent studies on the impacts of lockdown measures. Emotion regulation, or the ability to manage and respond appropriately to one's emotional state, is not about suppressing emotions but understanding, navigating, and modulating them effectively to respond logically to challenges instead of reacting emotionally. As we explore the foundational skills in the next part, stay tuned to learn the basics of emotion regulation. And don't forget to follow our blog to ensure you're equipped with each release in this informative series, guiding you towards a healthier emotional life.

References

1. The impact of emotion regulation and mental health difficulties on health behaviours during COVID19. Cardi, Valentina, et al. 2021, Journal of Psychiatric Research, pp. 409-415.

2. The Importance of Emotional Regulation in Mental Health. Menefee, D. S., Ledoux, T., Johnston, C. A. 2022, Behavioral Medicine Review, pp. 28-31.

3. Clinic, Cleveland. Emotional Dysregulation. Cleveland Clinic. [Online] 06 09, 2023. [Cited: 09 06, 2024.] https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/25065-emotional-dysregulation.

4. The Neuroscience of Emotion Regulation Development: Implications for Education. Martin, Rebecca E., Ochsner, Kevin N. 2016, Current Opinion in Behavioral Science, pp. 142-148.

5. Pedersen, Traci. What is Emotional Dysregulation? PsychCentral. [Online] 11 21, 2022. [Cited: 09 06, 2024.] https://psychcentral.com/blog/what-is-affect-or-emotion-dysregulation.