Chapter 17 – Improving Your Emotional Self-Regulation

A key component of managing your stress is emotion regulation. When our bodies experience high levels of stress, anxiety, or sadness, we must regulate our emotions so we can feel better. But this is easier said than done. If you suffer from emotional dysregulation, you may not be able to control your emotions.

Primary emotions

The primary emotions we feel are often the most immediate. They arise immediately when an event occurs. They are not based on thought, and may even be triggered by the presence of an external stimulus. Some examples include winning the lottery or the loss of a loved one. It’s best to avoid situations where your emotions are strong and are accompanied by cognitive processing. But there are also many situations that call for a more nuanced approach.

Despite their similarity, these emotions can be very different. The same primary emotion can be either a feeling of joy or anxiety, or it can be the result of an intensely negative experience. An example of a negative primary emotion is guilt. This emotion can be experienced by a person in situations where they feel worthless or helpless. While all primary emotions can be helpful in some circumstances, they are not universally helpful in others.

The good news is that there are several ways to recognize your emotions and make them more manageable. One way is to make a list of your primary emotions. This will help you identify which emotions you’re feeling in a certain situation, and guide you toward solutions. The second technique is to identify what’s causing the feelings, and then try to transform them into something that is less upsetting. Regardless of the method you choose, the key to successfully managing emotions is to be aware of them.

There is a growing body of evidence that people experience multiple emotions. The two-factor theory, which includes cognition, argues that emotions are created in the social and cognitive domains and are not inherited in a biological manner. This model explains the differences between cultures, and argues that emotions are not triggered but are instead socially constructed. This approach is known as the theory of constructed emotion. So what are the main factors that influence the regulation of our emotions?

Self-expression

While it may seem difficult to let your emotions be known, you can learn to express yourself better. You don’t have to be an acclaimed poet, a star athlete, or a singer to learn how to express yourself. The key to self-expression is identifying uncomfortable feelings and expressing them with tact. It’s important to avoid denying your feelings or trying to hide them from others, which can lead to negative consequences.

Psychotherapy and bodywork training can help you discover new ways to express yourself in new situations. Activities such as dance and martial arts can help you release feelings and build resilience. Yoga can reduce stress and give you a new way to express yourself. And learning a new sport can help you explore your physical and mental strengths. Whatever the case, self-expression is key to your overall health and happiness. Self-expression exercises can be a lifesaver.

Impaired ability to regulate emotions

The term “emotional dysregulation” describes the condition of being unable to control one’s emotions, particularly anger, anxiety, and depression. Impaired ability to control your emotions can lead to regrettable behaviors and relationships, which are detrimental to your health and your work performance. Many psychological disorders result from impaired ability to regulate emotions. Cognitive behavioral therapy has increasingly adopted an interactive-ontogenetic model of these disorders. However, the exact cause of emotional dysregulation is unknown, and there are currently no definitive studies.

This study showed that manipulation of ER goals reduced amygdala activity and increased activity in brain regions associated with emotion regulation, including the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. However, there was no significant difference in activity in the control group, indicating that the role of implicit and explicit ERs is not dissociated. The findings confirm the ER hypothesis and demonstrate that it is important to consider how ER manipulations may be affected in patients with depression.