How to Regulate Your Emotions
How to Regulate Your Emotions
Staying level headed when dealing with emotions
What is Emotion Regulation?
What is Emotion Regulation?
Emotion Regulation refers to a set of skills that help you to cope with your reactions to your primary and secondary emotions. The skills from Emotion Regulation pair and blend nicely with skills from other DBT approaches. Those skill groups are: Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Skills.
Emotion Regulation refers to a set of skills that help you to cope with your reactions to your primary and secondary emotions. The skills from Emotion Regulation pair and blend nicely with skills from other DBT approaches. Those skill groups are: Distress Tolerance, Mindfulness, Emotion Regulation, and Interpersonal Skills.
There are nine (9) skills for Emotion Regulation. They are:
There are nine (9) skills for Emotion Regulation. They are:
- Recognizing your emotions.
- Overcoming the barriers to healthy emotions.
- Reducing your physical vulnerability.
- Reducing your cognitive vulnerability.
- Increasing your positive emotions.
- Being mindful of your emotions without judgement.
- Emotion exposure.
- Doing the opposite of your emotional urges.
- Problem solving.
We will go over 1 of these on this page.
We will go over 1 of these on this page.
How To Do It
How To Do It
The skill we are going to work with is a foundational practice. We will cover "Doing the Opposite of Your Emotional Urges" or "OE."
The skill we are going to work with is a foundational practice. We will cover "Doing the Opposite of Your Emotional Urges" or "OE."
(OE) Opposite Emotion:
(OE) Opposite Emotion:
If your body is telling you one impulse, maybe the opposite would be a better choice. If you want to punch a hole in the wall, practice open hands. If you want to retreat into isolation, try reaching out to a trusted partner.
If your body is telling you one impulse, maybe the opposite would be a better choice. If you want to punch a hole in the wall, practice open hands. If you want to retreat into isolation, try reaching out to a trusted partner.
Depression can be like the caliche clay that we have in the desert. It is thick and sticky and makes it a challenge to even take one step forward. It sucks you into its puddles, making it a challenge to be balanced and stand upright, similarly, during an episode of depression, practicing opposite to emotion can be a challenge but worth the fight to get out of the "mud of the sticky thoughts."
Depression can be like the caliche clay that we have in the desert. It is thick and sticky and makes it a challenge to even take one step forward. It sucks you into its puddles, making it a challenge to be balanced and stand upright, similarly, during an episode of depression, practicing opposite to emotion can be a challenge but worth the fight to get out of the "mud of the sticky thoughts."
"Depression is like Caliche clay..."
"Depression is like Caliche clay..."
Below is a SELF CARE list to apply everyday during a period of depression. Continue reading for ideas on how to use it.
Below is a SELF CARE list to apply everyday during a period of depression. Continue reading for ideas on how to use it.
Feel free to download and print this image to use at home!
Feel free to download and print this image to use at home!
If depression is telling you to stay in bed because your limbs feel heavy, do one thing that is active such as a cool shower using your favorite scents of soap.
If depression is telling you to stay in bed because your limbs feel heavy, do one thing that is active such as a cool shower using your favorite scents of soap.
This is a To-Do list for Self Care, but it is not an exhaustive list. You can use it to come up with your own ideas and check off the "Something Else" box. For example, another Essential Task could be "Eat Some Food" instead of medication if you don't take medicine.
This is a To-Do list for Self Care, but it is not an exhaustive list. You can use it to come up with your own ideas and check off the "Something Else" box. For example, another Essential Task could be "Eat Some Food" instead of medication if you don't take medicine.
This list will help you feel accomplished and you will feel compelled to try to rise up out of the caliche mud of sticky thoughts.
This list will help you feel accomplished and you will feel compelled to try to rise up out of the caliche mud of sticky thoughts.