Our lives are full of emotions-beautifully subtle and overwhelming. When everything is just okay, it’s easy to wallow in one’s emotions. But when it becomes chiefly deep-seated anger, sadness, frustration, or anxiety, it may prove to be a tough struggle to control. The recipe is the art of controlling negative emotions for more peaceful and balanced living. Let’s see some simple strategies for How to Control Negative Emotionsthat will help you deal with tough emotions without letting them master you.
1. Know Your Feelings
To start with, managing tough emotions requires acceptance. We try to stay away or stifle feelings like anger or sadness because it is just too painful for us to endure. The thing we don’t realise is that the more we suppress them, the worse it gets. In this case, allow yourself to feel what you’re going through. You say to yourself, “I’m angry about this” or “I am really stressed out.” That attitude of confessing helps you know what’s going on inside your head and prepares you to take the next step.
2. Take your time before reacting
Sometimes, emotions make us do things we regret. If doused with negative emotions, just take a deep breath, count to five, or step away from the scene if you can. This little space is enough time to process what is happening fully in the brain, and thus, you make more thoughtful choices rather than reacting purely from emotion.
For example, perhaps you’ll look back on something someone did that’s annoyingly provoking and think how much you want to lash back at that person. Instead, take some deep breaths and calm down. Only once you’ve had the time to clear your head will you be able to respond in a less angry and more constructively helpful way.
3. Mindfulness Exercise
Mindfulness is actually considered to be a very powerful tool for dealing with undesirable emotions, which is highly powerful indeed. It is being fully in a moment with no judgment. It is an eye on your feelings but doing nothing with them. When you’re anxious or distressed, take time to centre yourself on your breathing and sensing your body. Mindfulness gives space between your emotions and the action, and those negative feelings may lose some of their intensity.
There are many ways to be mindful. Sometimes mindfulness is through meditation or the practice of controlled breathing while out walking in a quiet area. These help to anchor you, giving your mind just a little bit of a break from very overwhelming emotions.
4. Challenge Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts tend to foster negative emotions. So, for instance, if you happen to think that “I am not good enough” or that “Everything always goes wrong,” those could accompany feelings of sadness or frustration. But here’s the good news: you can challenge these thoughts.
Do you actually believe your negative thoughts? Are there other truths to back them up, or are you assuming or guessing? If we’re emotional, more times than not, we exaggerate or jump to conclusions. Sometimes, just neutralising the negative thoughts with more balanced ones can bring calmness to the emotions and decrease their intensity.
5. Create Healthy Outlets
When emotions build up, they need to be let out. Do not bottle them up inside. While others like to put their thoughts in a journal, others run or do yoga or dance to throw off the tension. One even talks to an understanding friend or counsellor to relieve their tension.
Find what works for you. The outlets help in a healthy expression of emotions and do not let them remain or intensify.
6. Self-compassion
Be kind to yourself. When we are going through tough emotions, it is very easy to criticise ourselves. We may come back at ourselves with, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way” or “Why can’t I get over this?” These thoughts could make things worse.
Be gentle with yourself just the way you would be to your friend. You may remind yourself that it is all right to feel that way. Human beings are bound to feel the hard times, and it does not make you weak. Be kind to yourself and reduce the emotional load by giving yourself comfort.
7. Professional Care if Needed
Sometimes, even with all your best tries at regulating them, you can be emotionally overwhelmed. If the situation appears that you are not getting your emotions on track, then consider speaking with a mental health professional. No one is anything like therapists are. They will help devise strategies suited to your problems and will further help you in handling those emotional challenges that you face in life in a safe and supportive way.
Final Thought
Learning how to control negative emotions takes time and practice, but it is still a basic tool that enhances general welfare. If you know your emotions, give yourself a moment or time to react, and become more aware, then by finding a healthy way how to deal with stress, you will be able to face adversities in life on a more balanced level. Remember to be patient and kind also with yourself in this matter; it is one part of emotional growth.
