At times, feelings can be overwhelming and powerful. Taking control of one’s feelings can be challenging. Ever felt angry at someone you love so that you said things you didn’t mean? After you calmed down, you realize your emotions got the best of you and you wish you had handled it differently.
It’s no secret that emotions can have a major impact on our lives. Our emotional state impacts how we feel and act, as well as the quality of life we experience. For example, people who are happy tend to be in better physical health than those who are depressed or anxious. If you’re wondering why regulating your emotions is important and why it’s worth making time for, I hope this article will give you some insight into the importance of managing our emotional states so that they don’t negatively impact us or those around us.
The importance of emotions cannot be understated. They are the building blocks of our lives. If you are not in a good mood, you’re probably feeling pessimistic and unmotivated, which not only impacts your mood but also your quality of life. That is why it is important to try and maintain emotional control in order to achieve goals in life. There are many techniques that will help you do so- for example, when feeling a strong negative emotion coming on, try thinking about something positive like your favorite place or moment, and then imagine what you’ll be feeling after achieving your goal. This might seem silly at first but trust me, it works! Studies show that regulating emotions forms the foundation for long-term personal, social, and academic success and for promoting mental health and well-being.
Understanding and controlling our emotions helps us to increase our life expectancy, helps in the betterment of our social relationships, and helps improve our mental health, we can also benefit from the happiness it brings, helps us make better decisions, preserves our energy, and boosts our productivity.
There are a number of ways to help you safely deal with your emotions and stop feeling like life is out to get you. One way is to do some journaling. Sometimes it’s hard to know why we’re feeling the way we are, but by looking back on what has happened during the day or week through journaling- we might be able to figure out what’s going on.
You can also practice mindfulness meditation. When stressed or emotional, one can easily feel like they are disconnected from their senses and surroundings. A few minutes of mindfulness meditation can clear your head, calm down anxiety, and offer you a sense of peace that can last for days.
The most important thing you can do is learn how to “ride the wave” of emotions that can come with being angry, anxious, or sad. It is completely normal to experience strong and sudden emotions; especially when feeling frustrated. Instead of allowing ourselves to get carried away by these feelings, try to imagine them like waves in the ocean. They can grow and even crash down on you- but they are nothing more than an emotion that passes through you, and just like any other wave on the ocean, it will eventually end. To get started with this technique, take several deep breaths. Deep breathing helps to calm down your nervous system which is what triggers all of these physical symptoms that we can interpret as negative emotions. You can then simply remember how you felt when dealing with a wave in the past.
We all experience emotions- some more intensely than others. Some people are able to control their feelings, while for others it can be a challenge. Understanding how our brains function and reacting accordingly is an important component of living well in today’s world. To commemorate Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s practice mindful emotional regulation and keep our minds in good spirits.
By
Ms. Shrinidhi Sridhar
B.Sc. – Year