Tips for Healthy Emotional Regulation

It can be difficult for some individuals with a mood disorder to effectively regulate their tough emotions. Emotional regulation is important as it helps improve a person’s mental health. It can be helpful for one to incorporate self-help strategies into their routine for ongoing improvement. Professional support can provide the tools needed to maintain emotional regulation. Those who have trouble managing their mental health find great benefits after surrendering to psychiatric treatment. Many individuals participating in somatic therapy at Avalon Malibu’s luxurious mental health facility learn new tips for healthy emotional regulation. 

What Is Emotional Regulation?

Research indicates that emotional regulation can be defined by an individual’s attempt to influence emotions in themself and others. Emotional regulation is where an individual works to process their negative feelings. It is where one has complete control over one’s emotions. Having a balanced mood without presenting with negativity is crucial for an individual’s surroundings. Expressing volatile rage, irritability, or defensive mechanisms in any environment can be traumatic for an individual’s surroundings. Emotional regulation is a critical life skill that, when achieved, can promote a positive future for everyone involved. 

Why Is Emotional Regulation So Important?

Regulating tough feelings and reactions can be a challenging process. It can be especially difficult for an individual with a mood disorder to control their emotions even in great hardship. Intense stress that has stemmed from academic expectations, work-related pressures, self-imposed demands, and social norms can trigger an unwanted mental breakdown. When an individual has problems regulating their emotions, their level of functioning, mental, and physical being can gravely be impacted. It is important to establish mental stability for a balanced lifestyle despite daily stressors. Working to maintain emotional regulation can: 

• Enhance one’s ability to learn in all areas of life
• Dampen negative emotional responses that may impair relationships
• Help one handle extreme disappointment 
• Allow an individual to make rational decisions
• Open room for new opportunities rather than dwell on the past
• Allow one to mature and grow with pure optimism

Self-Help Strategies to Help Maintain Emotional Regulation

It is only natural for an individual who has experienced some level of trauma or distress to face difficulty maintaining emotional regulation. We all have a breaking point. Although a mood shift is bound to happen in certain situations, it can be helpful for one to have a few self-help strategies on hand to maintain calm when needed. 

According to Frontiers in Psychology, emotional regulation can help one adapt to their environment and achieve their most desired goals. Incorporating helpful strategies in a structured routine can enhance their ability to regulate their emotions. Five coping strategies that have been proven to promote emotional regulation include: 

• Reappraisal: Taking on a new perspective of a different person or assigning a different meaning to a given situation
• Rumination: Analyzing the cause and laying out the consequences related to certain thoughts and feelings
• Distraction: Reevaluating emotions while being confronted with a stimulus that triggers low or high emotion intensity
• Suppression: Regulating one’s emotional response that has already happened and refraining from further negative emotional expressions and behaviors
• Acceptance: Accepting the emotional process and effectively moving forward in a content manner

Participating in Somatic Therapy at Avalon Malibu For Mental Stability

Living with an untreated mood disorder can feel overwhelming. Although coping with a mood disorder is not always easy, surrendering to professional care can significantly improve an individual’s quality of life. Avalon Malibu’s mental healthcare team takes pride in teaching their clients the helpful coping mechanisms needed to support emotional regulation. 

Participating in somatic therapy can help. This treatment is a unique body psychotherapy. A typical session involves a therapist who works with many different mind and body techniques. The main goal is to help one diffuse and expel negative emotions and appropriately respond to them. Our sensations, emotions, and thoughts are all interconnected. Avalon Malibu treats various mood disorders, including: 

• Major depressive disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
• Dysrhythmia
• Cyclothymia

Breaking Down Other Treatment Options

Not everyone responds to treatment the same way. This is because one individual’s condition may be less or more severe in comparison to another’s illness. Everyone deserves to find peace within themselves. Avalon Malibu understands that different individuals require specific needs. Their team works hard to tailor the most effective services to their client’s requirements. 

Somatic therapy can be a great choice for emotional regulation, but Avalon Malibu provides its clients with plenty of different options. Treatment can help, but it is important for one to make use of the skills learned in therapy. Staying dedicated to certain goals and keeping a healthy routine can ensure ongoing improvement. Various treatment methods that may assist an individual in achieving emotional regulation include: 

• Mindfulness practices
• Psychodrama
• Experimental therapies
• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Avalon Malibu Mental Health & Addiction Treatment Center is a California state-licensed residential addiction and mental health treatment center dedicated to the healing of adults experiencing substance use disorders as well as psychiatric and mental health issues. We understand that mood disorders are mental health conditions where emotional disturbances become common and begin to interfere with many different aspects of one’s life. Our goal is to help each client achieve meaningful recovery with expertly crafted treatment plans tailored to their unique mental health needs. We offer therapeutic interventions founded on the evidence-based principles of mindfulness, awareness, acceptance, investigation, and change. Call Avalon Malibu at (844) 857-5992 to gain emotional and professional support.