Emotional intelligence - self-regulation effects

EQF LEVEL (INTERNAL REFERENCE): 3

keywords 

1 Emotional intelligence

2 Interpersonal intelligence

3 Multiple intelligences

4 Social skills

5 Extroversion 

Introduction: 

By the end of this LU you will understand the effects of self-regulation. 

Content: 

Self-regulation is the ability to control our behaviour, emotions and thoughts when seeking long-term goals. More specifically, emotional self-regulation refers to the ability to manage disruptive emotions and impulses, or actually thinking before we act.

It also involves the ability to rebound from disappointment and negative experiences and act consistently according to our values. 

Emotional self-regulation is one of the five key components of emotional intelligence. It is an important skill that children learn both for emotional maturity and for social connections. Although our ability as adults has roots in our childhood, you can work on it when you are older as well. 

Let’s take a look at some strategies to practise self-regulation and their effects:

1. Mindfulness: 

According to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), said mindfulness is "a consciousness that arises intentionally and without judgement at the present moment." 

 By acquiring skills such as focused breathing and gratitude, mindfulness allows us to keep some distance between ourselves and our reaction, with better concentration and calmness. It leads to a feeling of  relaxation. A 2019 review of 

 27 research studies showed that attention improved attention, which in turn helped to regulate negative emotions and improve executive functioning.

1. Cognitive reappraisal:

Cognitive reappraisal, or cognitive reframing, is another strategy that can be used to improve self-adjusting skills. This strategy involves changing thinking patterns. Specifically, cognitive reassessment involves reinterpreting the situation and changing the emotional response to it. 

Imagine, for example,  a friend who didn't answer your phone or text message for a few days. Instead of thinking that this reflects something about yourself, such as "boyfriend hates me," you might think that "boyfriend must be very busy." Studies have shown that applying cognitive reassessment to daily life is associated with experiencing more positive and less negative emotions. 

In a 2016 study investigating the association between self-regulatory strategies (ie, mindfulness, cognitive reassessment, and emotional suppression) and emotional well-being, researchers found that cognitive reassessment was exciting and happy. We have found that it is associated with daily positive emotions, including emotions, satisfaction and excitement.

Other useful strategies for self-regulation include acceptance and problem-solving, in contrast with other strategies that are unhelpful such as avoidance, distraction, suppression and worrying.

Embedded Doodly Video / Other available video contents on creative commons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-66G6hyagU 

RESOURCES:

https://www.verywellmind.com/how-you-can-practice-self-regulation-4163536