Emotion Regulation

What is Emotion Regulation?

• Understanding the emotions that you experience.

• Identify (observe and describe/name) emotions.

• Know what emotions do for you (are your emotions working for or against you in this moment?).

• Reducing emotional vulnerability and stopping unwanted emotions from starting in the first place.

• Increase positive emotions.

• Decrease vulnerability to Emotion Mind.

• Decreasing the frequency of unwanted emotions.

• Decreasing emotional suffering; stopping or reducing unwanted emotions once they start.

• Let go of painful emotions using mindfulness.

• Change emotions through opposite action.

Why Practice Emotion Regulation?

Taking charge of your emotions is important because:

• Adolescents often have intense emotions that are difficult to manage, such as anger, shame, depression, or anxiety.

• Difficulties controlling these emotions often lead to problematic behaviors that affect you and those around you.

• Problematic behaviors are often ineffective solutions to intensely painful emotions.

Reference: From DBT® Skills Manual for Adolescents, by Jill H. Rathus and Alec L. Miller. Copyright 2015 by The Guilford Press.