Handling Moments, Moment by Moment

Dysregulation (strong emotions) changes the way we see or interpret reality or the world. Do I see the world as hostile or kind?  “It’s like walking around with headphones on listening to heavy metal music all day” and wearing really dark sunglasses.  Your ability to reason well is hindered or affected.  With strong emotions, there is emotional reactivity and sensitivity.  “The logic part of our brain dims” when the emotional side is firing.  Recognize the signs of emotional reactivity:  Spaced out, scattered, frantic, flat, rage, or having to express yourself RIGHT NOW. ” How can you break this cycle?  How do I activate the rest and digest or parasympathetic nervous system?

Suggestions for regulation:

• Awareness of how emotions feel in your body (what are sensations in body, images in mind, feelings, thoughts? SIFT acronym comes from Dr. Siegel)
• Acknowledge the emotion and do something positive (have lunch with a friend or talk to a go-to person like family, church pastor, cousin, pet, God, etc, or journal or ask for a hug)
• If dysregulated (angry, anxious, down, in pain), acknowledge it and don’t react, instead meditate (calm app), journal, breathe (box breathing, 4-7-8), ground (with the senses), exercise.
• Slow down and do the opposite of what your feelings state.
• Make practicing meditation or mindfulness a daily practice.  Grow the postive, regulation muscle. 
• Monitor your thoughts and reframe them….You do matter.  Talk to yourself like you would a friend.
• Journal gratitude daily, journal of your emotions and of your strengths and good memories.

Educate yourself:

• Great series from Therapy in a Nutshell on youtube……….free Anxiety course 1-30.
• The first course is “Name it to Tame It:  How to Process Emotions 1/30.” Here is the first link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoCiHlFjo04
• Then, “A Nonjudgmental Attitude:  The Lie of Positive and Negative Emotions 2/30”
• There are 30……..Try to watch 1-2 videos per week and practice the skills.
• Another good video to watch is “How to Turn on the Parasympathetic Nervous System to Calm” by Therapy in a Nutshell.
• AfterSkool has interesting, animated videos as well: “Use your thoughts to optimize your health” on youtube.

Best wishes as you grow your positive, regulation muscle. Love yourself and let others love you. 🙂

1 John 4:19
We love, because He first loved us.