Those who can ride can control the horse to wherever they want to.
Those who can’t will let the horse take the lead to places they may not want to go.
The same goes for emotions. Everyone has different emotions: those who can grasp and regulate emotions can live more freely; otherwise, they will be led away by emotions helplessly. What are the tips to regulating emotions after all?
Firstly, if we want to be able to look after our emotions, we would have to take good care of our bodies and develop a healthy lifestyle. Research indicates that when we are hungry or restless, our ability for self-control would be impaired. Therefore, regular eating and getting enough rest are especially important for maintaining a healthy mind.
Secondly, we have to enhance our knowledge and awareness on emotions. Our emotions and body reactions are closely related, for example, when we are angry our face turns red or when we are nervous we shiver and sweat. Through examining our body reactions, we can understand our emotions. We should also find out the ‘trigger point’ of each emotion: what makes you happy, angry, or fear? Despite facing the same situation, each individual’s feelings and their ‘trigger point’ may be different. Through observation and thinking, we could better regulate our emotions.
Thirdly, speaking about our emotions is also an important tip in regulating emotions. A lot of times, we lose our temper because we could not find better ways to express ourselves. If we learn to name and identify our emotions and express them with words, then we will not have to be mad all the time. We can try talking about our anger in replacement of an emotional outburst, for example, ‘Mom is starting to feel annoyed, please can you switch off your video games.’
Lastly, when you have managed to grasp the different ‘trigger point’ of each emotions, you can try the following ways to response:
1. Identify and clearly describe the emotions.
2. Find more effective ways in solving the problem and take action.
Practice makes perfect. Emotion regulation requires time and repeated practice. Give yourself more space and tolerance. Start by loving yourself, understanding, and take care of your emotions better.
The New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association received donations from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charity Trust Fund to set up the ‘eGPS’ service for people suffering from depression or anxiety, which provides a guided self-help therapy.
Register online or phone in, our staff will contact applicants within a month to carry out initial evaluations. The psychological well-being officer will provide one-on-one guided self-help therapy to those who are eligible, which emphasise self-learning to reach their goals step by step.
Target group: 18 or above, examined to be experiencing emotional distress, basic Chinese reading and writing skill
Enquiries: 3188 2550
Website: 3188 2550
Text: Clinical Psychologist Yeung Tsui Yee，Clinical Psychologist in Training Chui Wai Pong