#emotional-regulation

#emotional-regulation

For most teenagers, stress is part of daily life. Poor grades, awkward encounters with friends, or being anxious about the future can all trigger worry. These stress-inducers are occasional. But when the stress is tied to family, it feels personal. It lingers after the school day ends, seeps into late-night hours, and becomes impossible to escape. Imagine a teenager seated at their desk trying to focus on homework while raised voices are heard from the next room.

You may be familiar with a particular feeling because you were exposed to it often while you were growing up. Maybe you were raised by an anxious parent who constantly warned you about the potential dangers that surrounded you. You may find yourself constantly bracing for something to go wrong or perseverating about the future and things that haven't even happened yet. That might mean you're habituating to worry and fear.

In psychology, this is called experiential avoidance. Trouble is, this experiential avoidance may seem helpful in the moment, but research shows that continuous avoidance of uncomfortable or upsetting thoughts can actually increase our anxiety and distress. Indeed, Dr. Russ Harris outlined in his book The Happiness Trap that experiential avoidance contributes to anxiety, depression, and numerous other mental health challenges; the harder one tries to avoid the uncomfortable thoughts and feelings, the "more bad feelings we create."

Self-soothing advice is all over the internet, much of it in the form of warnings to avoid potentially damaging sorts like "shopping therapy" or bingeing on Ben and Jerry's, or worse, vodka martinis. Instead, experts suggest using the "good" ones, which seem to run the gamut from stimulating your vagus nerve to hugging yourself. Among the University of Miami's recommendations to faculty and staff in their current summer newsletter is "tapping."

I have always thought the phrase "Hire a teenager while they still know everything" was a very clever sentence. It works on the premise that teens think they always know best and, therefore, think they "know everything." It may be funny, yet it belies a real truth, which is that teens often act as if they know more than they do. Think about the last time you tried to instruct an adolescent about something.

What exactly constitutes a meltdown? As Lorain Moorehead, an individual and family therapist, explains, a meltdown is, on some level, a child's expression of their opinion or preference. "Their body is dysregulated either because of their real or perceived need not being met, and they are communicating it with the tools they have available in the moment, which in the case of a meltdown might be tears, volume, or other means to return to a state of control," she says.

Venting doesn't lead long-term to effective outcomes. Rather than making you feel better, venting can often leave you feeling worse or just as bad as before.

When stress builds without relief, the brain shifts into survival mode. In survival mode, clarity and presence of mind can quickly disappear.

Developing mental fitness enables elite leaders to sharpen focus, remain grounded under pressure, and make confident decisions in high-stakes environments, enhancing organizational stability.

Researchers discovered marked structural differences in the brains of psychopaths, notably in areas that control emotional regulation, impulse control, and social behavior.

Being courageous is a learned behavior that involves recognizing our fears and managing them, ultimately fostering personal growth through bold actions.

Conscious awareness and emotional regulation lead to neural networks that grow, prune, and strengthen based on conscious focus and repeated practice, resulting in improved clarity.

Emotional regulation is vital for maintaining psychological stability, as it involves monitoring our state of mind and understanding our emotional triggers.

Two women dreamed of a majestic mountain, each with different interpretations: one viewed it as the approach of death, while the other saw it as a symbol of her growing children.

Imagine this: Instead of being stuck inside your body, tensing up, and reacting on impulse, you mentally suspend yourself on the ceiling, looking down at the situation below like a calm observer.

Athletes train their minds for focus, emotional regulation, resilience. In-house lawyers can similarly benefit from mental performance training to enhance their high-stakes decision-making.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) effectively addresses the complexities of trauma-related emotions, offering structured interventions that promote regulation and acceptance in clients.

Ineffective coping strategies, such as avoidance and rumination, can trap individuals in anxiety cycles, making situations feel worse instead of more manageable.