Online Therapy Michigan: 8 Steps to Identifying and Managing Emotions

Emotions are an essential part of life. Emotions influence our thoughts, behaviors and overall well-being. Understanding and managing our emotions can be challenging. Building your base emotional knowledge is a skill not everyone has a grasp on. In this blog post, we’ll explore eight steps that can help you learn how to recognize and manage your emotions.

Identifying and Managing Emotions

Get Educated About Emotions

The first step towards learning about your emotions is to get educated. Take the time to learn about the different types of emotions you experience and their underlying causes. Learn about the basic emotions such as sadness, happiness, fear, anger, surprise and disgust. Read books, articles, blogs, watch videos and listen to podcasts to gain more insight about emotions. This information will help you build a solid foundation for your emotions.

Use a Feeling Chart

A feelings chart is a tool for identifying and labeling your emotions accurately. Some of these feelings charts have emotions with corresponding facial expressions. This allows you to connect emotions to expressions or behaviors. There are also children and adult feelings charts. Google feelings wheel. A great time to use the feeling chart is when you feel a complex emotion that is hard to put your finger on. Use the chart to pinpoint what emotion you are actually feeling. This practice helps you gain insight into the different emotions that you are experiencing.

Reflect on Emotions and Self-Awareness

Developing self-awareness is essential for understanding your emotions. Throughout the day, when you have your breaks, take a moment to reflect on your emotional state. Pay attention to how your emotions are shown physically, mentally and behaviorally. Are your muscles tense? Is your mind racing? Do you feel like you want to act on an impulse? Being able to observe your emotions and how you express them is a great way to learn and manage your emotions.

Be Aware of Body Sensations

Our bodies know when there is something going on. It can be a racing heart, shallow breathing, sweaty palms, or pressure on the chest. Physical sensations can help you gain insight into your emotions even before you are consciously aware of them. Mindfulness exercises and body scans can help you become aware of the signals your body is sending. This can help you identify and manage your emotions.

Explore Triggers and Patterns

Triggers are events or situations that can cause specific emotional responses within us. Reflect on the circumstances that consistently cause intense emotions or recurring patterns in your life. Are there certain people, places, or activities that cause strong emotional reactions? Being able to identify these triggers allows you to anticipate your reaction. Instead of reacting how you usually do, you can plan out a different response to that experience. When you understand the underlying patterns that cause you to become emotionally activated, you can develop strategies to change their impact and improve your emotional well-being.

Use Journaling to Process

I’ve written 1, 2 articles about journaling. Journal can be a tool for processing and understanding your emotions. I recommend setting aside 10 minutes per day to journal and explore your emotions. Read the two articles to learn how to journal. Also, review your journal every 90 days to look for recurring patterns and themes. When you find these patterns and themes, explore them deeper. 

Learn vocabulary to Express Emotions

Expanding your emotional vocabulary helps you communicate your feelings and emotions more effectively. Many people struggle to express themselves due to having a limited emotional vocabulary. Learn new words to describe various emotions that you feel. This can help you better describe your emotions accurately, leading to better self-expression and understanding.  When you learn to use your words more effectively, you’ll be able to build a stronger and health relationship with your emotions.

Use Coping Skills

When you are overwhelmed with emotions, having effective coping skills is essential. In other blogs, I’ve written about coping skills such as box breathing, deep breathing, and journaling. Practice your coping skills often so when you need them, they work. You don’t want to try to use new coping skills when you need to cope. Also, which coping skill to use works differently for each person. Give many different types of coping skills a try and see what fits best for you.

These are eight steps that you can use to identify and manage your emotions. Doing these tasks will help you improve your emotional base and emotional intelligence. Doing the work to become self aware and understand your emotions will improve your mental health, allow for personal growth, as well as improve your relationships with your loved ones. Embrace your emotions, instead of shoving them down. Work through your emotions. 

Reach out for Online Therapy in Michigan

Learn tools and skills to improve your life with Chris Rabanera. Get started with a free 15-minute consultation today. Offering online therapy in California, Michigan, and Las Vegas, I specialize in addressing physician burnout, grief counseling, anxiety, depression and providing tailored mental health treatment for men. Let’s get to work to make lasting positive changes.