Anger, frustration, and being overwhelmed- how do we emotionally regulate and navigate ourselves?

Anger, frustration, and being overwhelmed- how do we emotionally regulate and navigate ourselves?

I have noticed how impactful it is to work with and understand our emotions and express them healthily. Many people find this easier said than done, and I agree. Here are some things that can be helpful and that we should be aware of when working to understand ourselves and our emotions.

  1. When working with emotional regulation, it’s always helpful to have a therapist guide you through the process if you have the means to do so.

  2. When we work with ourselves and our emotions, it's helpful to understand how our surroundings and upbringing impacted the way we handle these emotions at the outset.

  3. What triggers our emotional intensity? What escalates our emotions to a higher degree? Knowing what triggers us means we have an idea of how to cope.

  4. It's essential to be aware of coping skills and what helps us in times of high distress. These skills include distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and communication and handling of the situation.

  5. Understanding the levels of our emotional dysregulation is another helpful factor. Sometimes, we know what level we’re at and what helps us and what not to know what coping mechanisms help.

  6. Ask what your environment can do to help you. Can people around you help? How can others improve the situation, such as changing the tone or how things are said? Ask how people can help and support you.

  7. Our emotions will be valid, but not the intensity or action. Remember what we feel will be valid and make sense, but how we express 

  8. Be patient with yourself and the process. It's hard to feel like we know what we need to do. Why isn’t it easy? Remember, if you’re used to doing things a certain way and your instincts are to react a certain way, it takes time to undo behaviors. Be patient with yourself. Getting better at our reactions takes time and patience.

Learning and building mastery on understanding our intense emotions and navigating them can be so beneficial. We can communicate with ourselves and others about what we feel and work together to better the situation for everyone involved. We can feel good knowing we handled the situation well and also feel our emotions and wants can be heard by others. Not lashing out or regretting our actions can make us feel better about ourselves and our self-image. So, if you need help and want to learn to handle intense emotional situations, it’s worth reaching out for help!

Book Nourishment

Book Nourishment

0