New insights into emotional regulation highlight its role in mental health management

While social media has popularised emotional regulation as a wellness trend, experts emphasise its practical importance in managing intense feelings and mental health conditions through learned skills and behaviour.

If social media has made “emotional regulation” sound like a wellness slogan, psychologists say the idea is much more practical than that. At its simplest, it describes how well a person can manage feelings such as anger, excitement, disappointment or fear without being overwhelmed by them. Jessica Griffin, writing for The Independent in an article first published by The Conversation, says the aim is not to eliminate difficult emotions but to handle them more effectively.

That distinction matters because emotional regulation is not the same as temperament. Temperament is the inborn style with which a person tends to meet the world, while emotional regulation is learned over time and can improve with practice. According to Cleveland Clinic and other psychology explainers, regulation skills develop in childhood and continue into adulthood through experience, modelling and support from others.

Researchers describe two broad forms: self-regulation, which is managing one’s own reactions, and co-regulation, which is helping another person calm down. That second form is especially important for parents, partners and teachers, because emotions do not operate in isolation. As Griffin notes, they are shaped by a constant interaction between thoughts, physical sensations and behaviour, so one angry thought can trigger a racing heart, tense muscles and a sharp response.

Problems begin when that process goes into overdrive. Cleveland Clinic says emotional dysregulation refers to emotions that feel too intense, last too long or seem out of proportion to the situation. It is not a diagnosis in itself, but it is often seen alongside ADHD, trauma, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder, according to the sources reviewed. Simply Psychology adds that it can affect sleep, memory, concentration and relationships, and in severe cases contribute to broader mental health difficulties.

The good news, clinicians say, is that regulation can be taught. Griffin points to skills such as naming emotions accurately, breathing exercises, mindfulness, talking things through with someone trusted and using cognitive behavioural therapy techniques such as challenging unhelpful thoughts. Better sleep, regular movement and balanced eating can also help. The broader message is that feelings are information, not commands: the goal is to notice them, understand them and choose a response rather than simply react.