Have you ever met another woman who seems to always have it together? Does she appear to be calm, cool and collected during those moments when your heart is beating out of your chest and you feel like you can’t breathe? Do you wonder how on EARTH does she do it? Well, she’s not a freak of nature … she’s more than likely just learned how to handle emotions in a way that serves her well.
Here’s the good news: you can learn this new skill too! Clinically it’s called emotional regulation: I’ve always thought of it as having a “super power” because with this ability, you get to decide how you’re going to react to things. Imagine only letting in those emotions that you want to experience! Wouldn’t it be great to not let your husband drive you crazy when he forgets to bring home the cat litter (for the 4th day in a row)? What about when your mother’s criticism about your schedule makes your blood pressure spike and those familiar feelings of self-loathing comes up? Or how about the days when you just feel not good enough and you’re dying to dive into a bowl of ice cream to soothe away the hurt and worry? We have all been there!
Does emotional regulation mean that you don’t actually feel any of these negative emotions? NO, it really means that you get to choose how much you want these feelings to hurt you and how you are going to react to them. Once you have mastered this ability, it can be a game changer … no longer will you yearn to stay in bed because you feel too overwhelmed to move. Dealing with toxic people isn’t going to ruin your day and send you down the rabbit hole of despair and frustration. Work will improve, you’ll feel more connected to your loved ones and your self-confidence will be stronger than it’s ever been. Why wouldn’t you want this super power? You’re already a super woman with everything you do each day so this is just icing on the cake! Working with a therapist you trust and feel comfortable with is a great place to begin developing emotional
regulation and becoming a better you!
