Feelings are a natural aspect of everyday living. When we have a busted tire, we get frustrated. When we miss our family, we become sad. When someone disappoints us or hurts us, we become upset.
Although we know we'll have these feelings often (and repeatedly), some people start to feel intense emotions. Their lives start to be affected by the higher highs and lower lows that they experience. People who have drastic emotional swings may find themselves calm one minute and gloomy or angry the next.
Although it happens on occasion for all of us, for some people emotions spiraling out of control happen regularly. They might say and do things they regret afterward as a result of their abruptly fluctuating emotions. They could undo their friendships or tarnish their credibility with others as a result.
Many factors can contribute to someone losing control of their emotions. They might be more genetically susceptible to these abrupt changes. Positive emotional management may not have been modeled to them growing up or they might not have learnt the skills. They might lose control when they come across events that remind them of unpleasant experiences from the past. A drop in blood sugar or exhaustion are examples of bodily changes that might make someone lose control of their emotions.
Contact JarvisHypnotherapy to help you with issues related to emotion control or conflict resolution.
Whatever the reason for the emotional outburst, breakdown, or dysregulation, it is not a hopeless case. We can learn emotion regulation ourselves; and we can help defuse emotionally charged situations whenever we find ourselves caught in one.
Let's watch some of these videos to help us understand the different faces, nuances, and expressions of emotions in daily life:
From the previous article, we talked about how to defuse emotionally charged situations and how important it is to deescalate conflicts or hostility. We've learned that we need to:
- recognize and evaluate the situation,
- respond with calmness,
- listen with empathy, and
- validate the other person and show respect.
In heated situations, our aim is to prevent it from getting out of control. Our goal is to set the stage so that there is reasonable exchange, as well as to avoid aggression. Here are helpful strategies that will make de-escalation possible:
1. Pay attention to the person's concerns as well as the issue itself.
2. Make considerate, thoughtful remarks to demonstrate that you have heard their concerns.
3. Hold off responding until the person has expressed their frustration and explained their feelings.
4. To connect better, make and keep appropriate eye contact with the other person.
5. Tilt your head slightly to demonstrate that you are paying attention; this also allows a non-threatening stance.
6. Nod to convey that you are paying attention and have understood.
7. Express your empathy to indicate that you have understood.
But to keep yourself safe from possible harm, keep some distance between you and the other person.
While it is not your responsibility to stop someone from being angry, taking these steps could help the person feel calmer and more at ease. Only then can you consider how to handle the situation and address their issues.
Here's another video that will help us understand the impact of emotion: The Power of Emotional Intelligence | Travis Bradberry.
If you need a professional's help in regulating emotions and temper, learning positive interaction skills, or becoming a better listener in stressful situations, talk to JarvisHypnotherapy. Our experts can help you!
And if you missed it, here are previous insights from JarvisHypnotherapy on de-escalation: How to De-Escalate Emotionally Charged Situations.
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