How To Not Let Your Emotions Control You

Emotions make a human being. Your emotions allow you to vent your thoughts and feelings. It is the

response to any kind of circumstance that affects you, and when you are attuned to your emotions, it can be really beneficial to you.

Even though emotions play an important role in our lives, too many emotions can wreak havoc on our mental and physical health. When our emotions start getting out of control, or rather, starts controlling us, it takes a great toll on our health and well-being.

It’s necessary to know when to temper your emotions to bring more balance into your life. Listed below are some ways with which you can regulate your emotions so that they don’t get out of hand.

How To Not Let Your Emotions Control You

1)     Give yourself a little space

Sometimes, a situation can trigger our emotions to such an extent that we start to lose control of how we are behaving. This is when you need to create some distance between yourself and your emotions.

Blocking emotions and distracting yourself are two different things. When you block emotions, you avoid or repress them. But, feeling emotions is a good thing. You should not strive to forget about them completely.

When you give yourself a little space, you temporarily distract yourself from the emotion, only to revisit it later when you are in a better headspace. You might feel angry now, but you won’t feel as angry later. 

Some ways you can create a mental distance between yourself and your emotions are:

a) ​Talk to a friend

b) ​Read or watch something funny

c) ​Go for a walk

2)     Breathing exercises

When you feel too happy or furious, just slowing down and taking a long deep breath can help you

regain control and composure. As well as prevent a possible emotional outburst. 

Once again, the purpose of this is not to stop the emotion you are feeling, but to bring it under your control.

Deep breathing exercises can help you avoid any extreme reactions to the situation.

Take a deep breath in and then hold it while you mentally count to five. Then exhale as slowly and steadily as possible on the count of five. You can also use a mantra like ‘I’m calm’ to calm yourself down. Repeat the mantra over and over in your head and it will serve to lessen the intensity of your emotion.

3)     Accept all your emotions

Often, when we have an extreme emotion, we tend to repress it instead of accepting it. This leads to bottled-up feelings that burst one day in a massive reaction, an emotional outburst. 

This can be prevented by acknowledging and accepting all your emotions. When you can’t find a pen and you start hyperventilating, what do you do? You try to convince yourself that it’s just a pen, and it’s no big deal.

This is counteractive. By trying to convince yourself that this is not a situation you should have such

emotions for, you are invalidating yourself. That simply doesn’t help in any situation.

Instead, start practicing how to allow yourself to feel intense emotions without blocking them. It won’t happen in a day or two, but with regular practice, you will be able to master it. And once you master it, you will be able to easily handle strong emotions without letting them affect you in some kind of huge reaction.

4)     Maintain a mood journal

Journaling is a superb way to tap into your pent-up emotions. Writing down your feelings allows you to think deeper about them and helps you identify any distorted thought patterns or specific triggers. 

Once you can identify which triggers get the most response out of you, you can then come up with ways to manage your emotions in that particular situation. Resulting in a healthy relationship between you and your emotions. 

Journaling leads to better results when practiced daily. Maintain a mood journal where you write down whenever you feel an excess of any emotion, be it sadness or anger or even happiness. Write when you feel bad and when you feel good. The key is moderation, not repression. Maintaining this journal helps you to get in tune with all your emotions and seeing them from a different point of view. Plus, journaling is a great way to practice mindfulness. 

Finally,

If your emotions are too unstable or you feel like you cannot get them under control, you should try talking to a therapist. There is no shame in asking for help when you need it. Once you learn how to balance your moods and feelings, you will feel much more in control of your life. Reclaim your life now, by dealing with your emotions in a healthy and positive way.

It’s normal to feel anxious, angry, or sad from time to time. This is a normal part of life. However, if you find that your emotions are constantly controlling you, it may be time to learn some emotional regulation strategies. Luckily, there are many different techniques you can try. Some people find that journaling or mindfulness helps them to control their emotions in the moment. Others find that cognitive-behavioral therapy or medication is more effective in the long term. If you’re not sure where to start, talking to a mental health professional can help you figure out which approach is right for you.

Learning how to control your emotions takes time and practice, but it’s worth it. After all, feeling calm and in control of your life is a goal worth striving for. I hope this article helps you in controlling your emotions better. What are your thoughts on the same? Feel free to drop your experiences and views in the comments below.