Emotions are part of daily human life. They are the high or low feelings people experience in their day to day chores, but emotions are important in life. Psychologists don't have an exact taxonomy of emotions since there are uncertain things about emotions. However, there are ways you can learn which can help you in controlling emotions and having a healthy mind. Below are some of the ways.
Best Ways to Control Your Emotions
Bad emotions can affect your mental well-being; on the other hand, it is essential to control good emotions as well. Below are detailed tips on how to control your emotions.
1. Avoid reacting right away
Things do happen which can trigger your mind into feeling unwanted emotions. Reacting immediately after an encounter with some bad emotions can have negative impacts on your life. You may get provoked to say or do something that you may later regret. To avoid falling into emotional torture, think before you say anything sharp or hurtful. Ensure you relax your muscles and that way your mind will get to calm down also.
2. Take deep breaths to calm down
When your emotions get out of hand, your breathing may also get out of control. This may be as a result of stress and anxiety. Below is a breathing technique that can help you calm down your mind and body.
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Place one hand on the chest and the other below the diaphragm (rib cage). First inhale slowly but deeply through your nose. Make sure you feel the expansion of both the lungs and abdomen as air goes in.
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Hold your breath for three seconds, then release the air through your mouth.
In the process of taking deep breaths, your mind will relax, thus helping you get control of your emotions.
3. Re-center your mind by focusing on physical sensations
Emotions do occur in the mind; when you lose control of your emotions, you can lose awareness of self and the real-time space and place. To counter this, focus on your physical surrounding. Whether in your house, school or at work, looking at what is around you can help you re-center your mind into your current surrounding. Taking control of emotions is not easy, but the focus here is to relax and not let the emotion carry you away.
4. Relax your muscles to relieve physical and mental tension
Learning how to control emotions is not an easy thing. Emotional stress comes with physical and mental tension, and if not managed in the right way, can be a burden and lead to severe medical conditions. To get rid of physical tension, practice a relaxation method called progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). In this method you systematically exercise and release body muscles in groups, begin with your toes, working upwards. It is a great method to release physical tension.
5. Find a healthy outlet
At times, human thoughts are not always right. Some thoughts are biased; that's why after managing your emotions you have to release them healthily. It is important to seek help from someone you trust and give them an account of what happened. Getting other people's opinions may help you broaden your mind and awareness. No matter what the emotion was, or the state it left you in, you have returned to your state of being. Other healthy outlets to manage emotions include exercises, partaking in hobbies, etc.
6. Replace your thoughts
Bad emotions will lead to negative thoughts hence a negative attitude. When in a situation that can cause emotional trauma, the change of thoughts may not change the situation, but it may at least change the way you believe that the situation is affecting you. Replacing thoughts that lead to sadness with thoughts that bring joy and happiness can help you contain emotional distress. For example, something may anger you and trigger bad emotions, but when you think of something or someone who excites you, the thoughts of sadness might fade. If you are concerned about how to control your emotions, try replacing the stressing thoughts with something joyous and exciting.
7. Beware of your emotional triggers
Emotional triggers are people, things, events or places that lead you to feel emotional distress. Most of the time emotional triggers are connected to you and maybe unavoidable. A friend or relative may spur bad emotions when they are around you, leaving you stressed. It is essential for you to learn how to forgive and detach yourself from things that anger you. This way you will not have the burden of feeling emotionally down because of other people. Knowing your emotional triggers can help you disassociate from them and help you gain inner peace.
The Final Word
In conclusion, the content on how to control your emotions can help you regain your right state of mind every time you feel stressed. Emotions come to us any time of the day - it's human nature. However, letting emotions carry and define you is not right. The tips above can also help you avoid acting carelessly when an emotional upsurge arises. When it has all passed, you will be happy that you stayed in control of yourself.