What we constantly need is to guard and keep our emotions in check, as it’s a core feature of our personality. We need to constantly monitor it, by not sporadically bursting out in laughter when something’s not funny, or begin to suddenly feel sad, frustrated or angry.
What we’re all familiar with are the ups and downs, the sad and the happy we experience, which can significantly dent our well-being.
It becomes important to regulate these hosts of feelings, which impacts how you’re perceived by others.
Do you suddenly break out in anger once something inappropriate is said, then likely get that “death” stare from your sudden outburst.
This because you can’t mindfully control your emotions.
Emotions which are not in check can pose a danger, if you happen to suddenly erupt in “road rage,” for instance.
The Controlling Of Emotion
The restrain of emotions are not an exact science, far from it. There is ongoing debate regarding the mind-body connection when it comes to emotional reactivity.
It’s also not known whether why we react, is the cause or the result of the ways we construe the world.
Research has been conducted on the concept of understanding the management of emotion, the process on how emotions are felt or expressed.
What’s known is there’s a sequence of events which occurs once our emotions are notified and activated in the brain.
This once a certain situation or event captures our attention, which forces us to appraise and react to the situation.
Why You So Funny
This emotional response results from how we take inventory of our experiences in the past, and compare it to the current event. Then the laughter if it’s appropriate, will be instinctive.
Most of our emotional responses are usually accurate, and doesn’t require any type of regulation.
If the emotion is appropriate, and if it helps make you feel better, then there’s no need to alter how you react to that specific impulse.
Laughing at something funny while others are laughing as well, especially if it’s reactionary and genuinely comical, is natural.
Reacting irate in road rage situations, may also make you feel better, but it’s not appropriate.
What you could or should be doing is expressing your frustration in other ways, which also allows you to release those same feelings, or find a way to calm yourself down.
If you have a short temper, attempting to calm yourself down is easier said than done, however.
Controlling How You React
Are you someone who constantly flies off the handle when challenged or aggravated, and expresses your outrage for everyone to see.
It could cost you a friendship or get accused of mental instability, while elevating your blood pressure.
You need to consciously work on regulating your emotions, before any potential “provoking” situation occurs.
Once you prepare yourself, what you can then do is mindfully control your reactionary emotions before it happens.
Knowing Certain Situations
What’s recommended is you avoiding certain situations you know will trigger an inappropriate response.
You’re better off to recognize when you’ll get angry or upset, and learn to manage it beforehand.
For instance, leave the house a few minutes early, to avoid getting flustered by bad traffic or slow elevators.
If you think someone is annoying, then find ways to avoid them.
Don’t Set Your Sights Too High
Never allow yourself to get disappointed. If your inner “chef” thinks you can create that perfect gourmet dish, but it falls short, the reason is because your expectations were too high.
Instead, modify the situation by trying recipes which are easier, so you can improve from there and not get frustrated.
You may not be able to bake the perfect soufflé, but you can prepare an excellent omelette.
Shift Your Attention
Are you someone who constantly attempts to measure up to someone, only to feel inferior to them.
You go to the gym and see those who are fitter than you, able to lift those heavy weights. You become envious of them.
Instead, shift your focus away from those gym rats with six packs, and focus more on what you’re doing.
Follow your own fitness regime, and then you’ll eventually reach your goals.
Altering Your Thoughts
The core of your emotions are the beliefs which drives them. You feel sad once you think dour, you get mad once an important goal is missed.
You become happy, once something good goes your way, which is natural human reaction and instinct.
Once you adjust your emotions to the setting, although you can’t change the situation, you can alter how it affects you.
You can replace the emotion which leads to unhappiness, with thoughts of joy.
Those suffering from social anxiety, will think they’ll make themselves look foolish in front of others.
This can be overcome by putting yourself in situations, where others won’t notice or judge how you behave.
Consciously Controlling Your Response
If everything else fails and your emotions still come streaming out of control, then be more mindful by regulating them.
If your pulse races once you feel anxious or angry, then take deep breaths, or close your eyes to calm yourself down.
Try controlling your bursts of erratic laughter if it’s inappropriate, by forcing yourself to consciously change your facial expression while attempting to suppress yourself.
Controlling Your Emotions
By attempting these various methods, you can alter your emotions to these various situations, which can cause you potential grief.
Know all your emotional triggers, and then try avoiding those situations, so you won’t embarrass yourself.
What this ability to alter your thoughts and reaction does is it builds confidence, giving you the ability to fit in.
With practice, you can then control your emotional outbursts by turning those negatives into positives.