Emotional self-regulation or emotional regulation is the ability to respond to the ongoing demands of life experiences with the range of emotions in a manner that is socially acceptable and sufficiently flexible to allow spontaneous reactions as well as the ability to inhibit reactions as needed.  

 

Every day, people are continually exposed to a wide variety of potentially arousing stimuli. Inappropriate, extreme or unchecked emotional reactions to such stimuli could impede successful functioning within a social context; therefore, people must engage in some form of emotion regulation almost all of the time. Generally speaking, emotional dysregulation is defined as presenting difficulties in controlling emotional arousal, and the presentation of thoughts, actions, and interactions. For example, there is a significant association between emotion dysregulation and symptoms of depression, anxiety, eating pathology, and substance abuse.  Higher levels of emotion regulation are related to both high levels of social competence and the expression of socially appropriate emotions and behavior.

 

Intervention for Emotional Regulation skills often involves Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Mindfulness Training.   These skills enable the individual to become more aware of their active experience and to become more “tuned in” to what feelings are being engendered. When emotions feel confusing, overwhelming, or paralyzing, they are not serving a healthy and productive function.