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- [Instructor] Hi Psych2Goers
and welcome back to our channel.
Have you ever deeply regretted something you said or did?
Sometimes we act on impulse
or let our emotions get the best of us.
We have so many emotions.
It's easy for them to take control.
The five basic emotions are joy, sadness,
fear, disgust and anger and they can all splinter often
into many more feelings like jealousy, nervousness
and disappointment, gratefulness, contentedness
and satisfaction.
It can be easy to categorize our emotional outbursts
as simple reactions triggered by environmental stressors
but it is in fact possible to control them.
If you begin to recognize yourself
as the master of your emotions
there will be fewer moments of regret or upset in your life.
Mastering your emotions is hard but anyone can do it.
In this video, we'll be giving you a few tips
to help you master your emotions.
Number one, recognize and deconstruct your emotions.
If you do not know how to articulate
how or what you're feeling
it's difficult to master that emotion.
But before you can articulate what you're feeling
you have to actually learn what it is that you're feeling.
Developing a clear sense of what you're feeling
can prevent binge behavior that stems from emotional stress.
One way to develop emotional awareness
is to keep track of your emotions.
Ask yourself, what are you feeling?
And when did you start feeling that way?
And what was it that caused you
to feel that particular feeling?
This practice of recognition prevents you
from generalizing your emotions.
For example, feeling bad can be broken down
into many different ways such as feeling anxious,
frustrated or afraid.
Studies show that affect labeling helps reduce
related stress and anxiety.
Once you've developed a vocabulary for your emotions
you will then be able to deconstruct them
down to physical manifestations.
Physical sensations are the brain's natural way
of coping with overwhelming feelings.
Learning to recognize these manifestations
can help you untangle yourself from your emotions.
For example, if you're anxious
you may feel your heart race, your chest constrict
or have sweaty pumps.
When you're angry, you may feel hot like the blood rushes
to your face and neck and bubbles under your skin.
You might clench your teeth or fists in anger
or when you're sad you may feel physically heavy
and exhausted and struggle to motivate yourself
to get out of bed.
Number two, develop emotional intelligence.
Fostering emotional intelligence is perhaps the first step
towards mastering your emotions.
Emotional intelligence is a buzz-worthy word but what is it?
Generally, emotional intelligence
involves the ability to identify and name emotions
coupled with the ability to harness these emotions
and apply them to certain tasks and to manage your emotions.
Cultivating emotional intelligence will help you
better define what you're feeling in any given situation
and thus tailor your reactions to fit the moment.
You might often generalize your emotions.
For example, spilling coffee on your favorite sweater
automatically ruins the rest of your day.
But, if you learn to recognize what you're feeling
at that moment, then you'll know what next steps to take
so that it does not affect your entire day.
Some skills that can help you cultivate
emotional intelligence in your life
are to practice self-awareness.
Learn how to channel your emotions and figure out
how to motivate yourself and also cultivate empathy
for others as well as you yourself.
Number three, learn new concepts.
New experiences can open your mind
and introduce you to new perspectives
which in turn allows you to create new behavioral patterns.
Many of us prefer to rely
on established behavioral patterns
instead of adopting a new behavior model.
But having an open mind about life and viewing situations
from different perspectives helps you to recognize
and accept personal responsibility
for your own success or failures.
You can learn new concepts by experiencing new cultures,
learning a new language or reading a book.
Learning new concepts stimulates your neurons
and helps create new connections.
Scientists suggest practicing an activity
that is challenging and complex dealt with this.
Number four, practice self care self.
Self care can influence how well you master your emotions.
Scientists at the New Mexico Highlands University
have found that walking can increase cerebral blood flow
which creates mental clarity.
Exercise also decreases the chances of ruminating thoughts
and decreases neural activity
in the sub genual prefrontal cortex,
thus improving overall mental wellness.
Some other ways that you can practice self care
are by practicing good hygiene
making sure you drink enough water and getting enough sleep.
Meditation and social connection also help you balance
and let out your emotions.
Number five, savor happiness.
Someone once said that happiness is like the weather
it comes and it goes, hence try and appreciate it
when you do have it.
Enjoy in moments when it feels
like it's you against the world.
Happiness seems like a reality
and can be easy to overlook.
But try to find moments of happiness
when there seems like there are none.
Congratulate yourself on something you've accomplished.
Keep a positivity journal when you express gratitude
for something that made you happy.
It doesn't have to be a life-changing event.
It can be something as simple as playing with a dog
or treating yourself to some ice cream.
Our brains are hardwired to remember negative experiences.
So disrupt the pattern with remembering
and holding onto happy moment
and this will help you
to evolve past those negative emotions.
Did you find this video insightful?
Mastering your emotions takes time,
patience and willingness on your part.
So it's important to be kind to yourself
through this process
or it isn't easy and road bumps are bound to occur.
If you have any tips about your journey
towards emotional acceptance and clarity,
let us know in the comments below.
Please like and share this video if it helped you
and you think it could help someone else too.
The studies and references used
are listed in the description below.
Don't forget to hit the subscribe button
for more Psych2Go videos
and as always thank you for watching.
We'll see you next time.
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