Pay Attention To Your Emotions

Awareness is key. The first step in not letting your emotions get the best of you is becoming aware of them and how you respond to them. You can’t change something you are not aware of.

Emotions Are Neither Good Nor Bad

Emotional Acceptance is the ability to accept your emotions as just that, an emotion. In and of themselves, emotions are not good or bad, though they may be scary, especially when they get intense. Learning how to accept your emotions takes practice, but the more you do it, the more natural it becomes. Remember acceptance isn’t agreement. We don’t always have to like the way we feel but we can accept the way we feel. And the more we do this, the more we will be able to take back control. So stop running away from your emotions and trying to avoid them. They are going to happen one way or another because you are a human being. You are not exempt from feeling certain emotions.

You Can Choose Your Actions Despite How You Feel

Practice the skill of opposite action to take control of your actions instead of letting how you feel dictate your actions. When sadness wants you to stay in bed and hide choose to get up and do something. It’s okay to be sad and still cry and hold your loved ones at the same time despite the sadness. When fear is telling you to take all the toilet paper do the opposite action and give some away. It’s okay to be fearful and still choose to be kind to others despite the fear. Remember you have control of your actions. Choose each day. What action are you doing that are helpful despite how you are feeling?

Being Able to Handle Your Emotions Allows You To Have Better Connections With the People You Love

Emotion regulation is being able to recognize an emotion and choose how to respond to it. My emotions sometimes get the best of me and cause me to blow up and cause rifts between the ones I care about. During stressful times I am more on edge and feel like I have less control of my emotions. I tend to get defensive and react more quickly to my emotions. When I react this way it puts stress on my family, stress between my husband and causes them to be on edge or put up their guard. Implementing the skill of emotion regulation in my life has been crucial in helping me have fewer blow ups and better connections with the ones I love.