FMP 068 • An Introduction to Emotional Self-Regulation (Managing The Chaos)

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“Sometimes emotions feel like chaos regardless of what is going on around me.”

Emotional Self-Regulation

A few weeks back, we did an episode on grounding exercises for anxiety. We received a ton of listener feedback from individuals wanting much more in-depth information on regulating emotions, especially for those who have experienced significant trauma. This goes well beyond monitoring and managing day-to-day anxiety. Instead, today we provide a theoretical overview and series of approaches to help with the expression of emotions through dedication to emotional self-care planning, self-monitoring of emotional reactions to triggering environmental cues, and adherence to physical and emotional wellness.

Episode Outline

Welcome to Episode 68: Emotional Self-Regulation In Chaos

1. What We Do:
   • Behavioural Medicine and Health Psychology
   • Providing easily accessible content designed to help you design your own transformative experience.
2. Today:
   • We drill down into emotional regulation techniques and provide real world examples of managing the chaos.

Emotional Self-Regulation

1. Definition:
   • Your ability to experience and express a range of emotions appropriate to the setting, even when your internal reactions feel intense.
   • High self-regulation means you are able to delay the expression of complicated emotions until you are in an appropriate setting, or are able to calm your emotions towards stasis in the setting itself.
   • Simply put, your Feelings —> Thoughts —> Physiologic Response —> Emotion Related Behaviour (expression). The goal is to regulate this pathway.
   • Emotional dysregulation is defined as difficulties controlling emotional arousal on thoughts, actions, and interactions.
   • Particularly difficult for those who have experienced trauma.
2. Origin:
   • Origins in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Dialectal Behavioural Therapy (DBT).
3. Approaches in Therapy
   • DBT – The broadest Approach
     • Accumulate positive experiences.
     • Build mastery in activities that make you feel competent and effective to combat helplessness.
     • Cope ahead and create an action plan.
     • Physical illness prevention through check-ups with care provider.
     • Lower your vulnerability to physical and emotional illness through a prevention focused lifestyle.
     • Eating a healthy diet.
     • Avoiding alcohol and drugs.
     • Sleep hygiene as priority.
     • Exercise regularly.
   • Laser focus your definition of emotion using meta-cognition:
     • Your emotions do not define you – They are experiences providing us feedback.
   • Monitor physical signals and engage your skill-set.
     • Progressive Muscle Relaxation.
     • Circular Breathing.
   • Cognitive Reappraisal – Reframing our thoughts.
   • Reminiscence Therapy – Someone has upset you. Spend time thinking about all the good times you had with that person.
   • Mental Distraction – Count something novel in your environment, or count backwards from 100 by threes while taking a deep breath in-between.
   • Recharge with what makes you feel good (e.g., moving night alone, forest walk, time with your pets.) – Recall these experiences when feeling distressed in the future.

Announcements

1. Finding My Psych on Youtube:
   • We are now on Youtube doing periodic videos on the holistic approach to health and wellbeing, and livestreams to better engage with our audience.
2. Core Services:
   • Now a paid service.
3. Enhanced Services:
   • Always free now and forever.
4. Wellness Consultations:
   • We are now available for 1:1 wellness assessment and goal setting sessions via Zoom.