The 4 Types of Emotional Regulation
A new paradigm by Braunstein et al. (2017)
Subscribe to my email list to receive notifications about future articles
Emotional regulation is an indispensable tool for living an enjoyable and meaningful life. It consists of the ability to flexibly alter our emotional responses in a way that maximizes our well-being and effectiveness in the world.
When we lack emotional regulation, life can feel like a vicious storm that never ends. We’re constantly assailed by feelings that spoil our mood, complicate our relationships, and interfere with our ability to achieve valued goals.
Developing our skills in emotional regulation allows us to feel a range of emotions in an appropriate way. A good emotional regulator is able to feel their feelings, even the deep or negative ones, without having them conflict with their life.
Braunstein et al. (2017) have given us a way to understand different types of emotional regulation strategies. They present a model of emotional regulation based on two dimensions: explicit vs implicit, and controlled vs automatic.
By gaining a deeper understanding of emotional regulation, we can help ourselves and others develop this important life skill.
