Harvard Medical School: Self-regulation for adults: Strategies for getting a handle on emotions and behavior.

Posted on October 6, 2024 by michelleclarke2015
Self-regulation for adults: Strategies for getting a handle on emotions and behaviorphoto of a couple sitting at a table talking in front of a large window showing trees


Everyone has unpleasant emotions from time to time, such as anger, jealousy, fear, or anxiety. It’s human nature. But a key to living a satisfying life and getting along with others is to be able to manage your emotions and behavior even in times of stress. One way to do this is with self-regulation. Get your copy of Anger A bumper-to-bumper traffic jam… a hurtful comment…a relationship fight or breakup…an inflammatory online post…a rude store clerk…There’s no shortage of things that can make get our pulse pounding with anger. At best, such things can be distracting. At worst—left unchecked—they can be harmful to both your emotional and physical health, robbing you of the simple pleasures of life. That’s why—for your health’s sake—the experts at Harvard Medical School have created Anger Management: How to Manage Your Volatile Feelings in a Skillful Way. It’s the research-proven online guide that reveals the effective tools to help redirect your anger in a more positive direction.

 SHOW ME MORE →What is self-regulation?
Self-regulation is the act of controlling your behaviors, thoughts, emotions, choices, and impulses. Self-regulation skills help you keep negative emotions in check and think before you react. In essence, it’s a type of self-control or emotion regulation.

Negative emotions are disruptive. They can interfere with your happiness, productivity, and relationships. While you can’t always avoid negative feelings, you can change the way you react to them. Self-regulation draws upon: emotional stability self-discipline flexibility in adapting to different situations persistence in getting through tough times strong personal values that guide your reactions and decisions. People with good self-regulation skills can still feel sad, angry, or stressed during difficult times. But they have learned to manage these challenges better.

Why is self-regulation important?
When confronted with distressing or challenging situations, people with a strong ability to self-regulate can maintain a measured outlook and respond with thoughtfulness and maturity. People with good emotion regulation skills tend to have healthier behaviors and better overall health. Some of the healthy behaviors connected with self-regulation include being physically active, having a good diet, and not smoking.

On the other hand, people who are emotionally dysregulated experience high levels of stress and anxiety that can lead to poor physical and mental health. Some of the conditions associated with emotional dysregulation include being more sedentary, being overweight, and having high blood pressure and other stress-related problems. Having good self-regulation yourself can be especially valuable for parents teaching these skills to their children, from toddlers to teenagers.

Techniques for improving self-regulation
Improving your emotion regulation skills can help you be better prepared when you encounter obstacles — big or small — throughout your life. Self-regulation starts with exploring and understanding your behaviors, emotional reactions, and impulses. For example, do you notice that you are triggered by certain environments or people? Are you responding to an experience in your past rather than the current situation? You then consider the consequences of possible responses, and consciously choose those that can lead to a more positive outcome.

Mindfulness and cognitive behavior strategies are two ways to do this. Mindfulness and self-regulation. Mindfulness plays a strong role in self-regulation. It involves focusing one’s awareness on the breath and then expanding awareness in an open way to passing thoughts, and taking the time to calm them by focusing on the present moment without judgement. Practicing mindfulness helps you appreciate the simple pleasures of life. Then, when you face stressful situations, you can tap into those feelings of peace and satisfaction to help you self-regulate and keep your emotions under your control. Practicing mindfulness can help you build the capacity to to deal with problems. Cognitive behavioral strategies for self-regulation: Cognitive behavioral strategies help one reduce internal drivers of emotional dysregulation by replacing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors with positive ones.

These techniques are often done with the help of a therapist, but they can be practiced at home as well. Cognitive behavioral techniques include identifying and labeling your emotions, understanding the reasons for your emotions that may include distorted thoughts or catastrophizing, and learning to let painful feelings go. You might also consider any regrettable responses you have had to difficult and stressful situations in the past, and replace those behaviors with positive alternatives.

Practical tips for daily self-regulation The ability to self-regulate can be learned and improved. One tip to help you practice improving your self-regulation skills involves using the four-step Stop-Breathe-Reflect-Choose approach:When you feel upsetting emotions, tell yourself to calm down and think more clearly. Try to relax by taking deep slow breaths, counting to 10, or taking a walk. Don’t react until you feel like you have your emotions under control. Think about responding instead of simply reacting. To learn more about what may be causing your anger, read Anger Management, an Online Guide from Harvard Medical School.

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FEATURED CONTENT Anger
•When anger seems too hard to control•The nature of anger•Feelings, behavior, and your health•Assessing anger issues •Self-help strategies•Do you need anger management therapy?•Anger management is up to you
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About michelleclarke2015

Life event that changes all: Horse riding accident in Zimbabwe in 1993, a fractured skull et al including bipolar anxiety, chronic fatigue …. co-morbidities (Nietzche 'He who has the reason why can deal with any how' details my health history from 1993 to date). 17th 2017 August operation for breast cancer (no indications just an appointment came from BreastCheck through the Post). Trinity College Dublin Business Economics and Social Studies (but no degree) 1997-2003; UCD 1997/1998 night classes) essays, projects, writings. Trinity Horizon Programme 1997/98 (Centre for Women Studies Trinity College Dublin/St. Patrick's Foundation (Professor McKeon) EU Horizon funded: research study of 15 women (I was one of this group and it became the cornerstone of my journey to now 2017) over 9 mth period diagnosed with depression and their reintegration into society, with special emphasis on work, arts, further education; Notes from time at Trinity Horizon Project 1997/98; Articles written for Irishhealth.com 2003/2004; St Patricks Foundation monthly lecture notes for a specific period in time; Selection of Poetry including poems written by people I know; Quotations 1998-2017; other writings mainly with theme of social justice under the heading Citizen Journalism Ireland. Letters written to friends about life in Zimbabwe; Family history including Michael Comyn KC, my grandfather, my grandmother's family, the O'Donnellan ffrench Blake-Forsters; Moral wrong: An acrimonious divorce but the real injustice was the Catholic Church granting an annulment – you can read it and make your own judgment, I have mine. Topics I have written about include annual Brain Awareness week, Mashonaland Irish Associataion in Zimbabwe, Suicide (a life sentence to those left behind); Nostalgia: Tara Hill, Co. Meath.
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