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S-R & Emotion Regulation

SITE : Self-report tests
— This one from Truity 

Emotional Intelligence  Quotient (EQ) is a set of skills that helps us reason with & about emotion. They are key building blocks for children & adults providing positive outcomes in mental & social functioning —-> psychological well-being, academic & workplace performance & leadership effectiveness.
It’s about knowing ourself better & sharpening the ability to handle emotions in everyday decisions & our interaction with others.
People with high EQ traits are empathetic, tuned in, perceptive. With gratitude, they count their blessings while acknowledging that nobody is perfect.

To measure one’s EQ, one type of test △ has a person answering questions or statements by rating their own behaviors. Another type involves asking people to respond to situations & then assessing their skills. It also requires them to actively show their abilities, which are then rated by a third party.

Self-Regulation is a core component of  (EQ)
According to Daniel Goleman, the 5 components are:
• Empathy = A key interpersonal skill, it’s the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, to see a situation from their perspective.
As well as being aware of others’ feelings, it’s important to respond fairly – even when not agreeing with them.
Respecting diversity & inclusion is a vital aspect of empathy, as is communication – paying close attention to what you & others say, both verbally or through body language

• Internal motivation – This partly stems from understanding what you want to do & why. It’s about your drive to improve & achieve, having high standards & consistently working towards your goals.  This means being positive & assertive,  ready to act on opportunities as they come along. Motivation is driven by optimism which results in resilience.

• Self-awareness = Recognize & understand what you’re feeling & why – as well as how they affect others around you. You know when to step back & question your feelings & thoughts before acting.  It’s the basis of good intuition & decision-making, based on knowing your strengths, weaknesses & your values.

• Self-regulation = A result of being emotional aware is managing all emotions effectively. By holding yourself accountable for your actions & staying true to your values – you treat others with respect. When under stress you consciously step back to take a deep breath, it helps those around you feel reassured, & can motivate them take positive actions when needed.

• Social  /Soft skills —-> “friendliness with a purpose” so everyone is treated politely & with respect, used both for personal & organizational benefit. Those with a high EQ are often  called a ‘people person’, who are adept at dealing with others. They make great leaders, are trustworthy, inspire & motivate others, manage change, resolve conflict effectively, & giving praise where it’s due.

When these 5 areas are working well & in balance, we’re better able to face eternal & external pressures.  Think of our physical, mental & emotional energy (PMES) like a battery on an electronic device. Overuse can drained it quickly, needing to be regularly replenished. In the same way – we can’t successfully manage emotional stress when our internal battery is depleted. EQ is resilience.

4 HABITS of emotionally strong, EQ people.  THEY….
📍Control Attention, Not Emotions = ….focus on being in charge of their mental meandering  & intuition – by choosing what to think about, shifting away from obsessing & worry toward learning & problem-solving
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📍 Practice Compassionate Self-Talk = ….. know the importance of being self-compassionate & understanding, specially when feeling down, rather than being harsh. They regularly hold nurturing inner dialogues with the Inner Child, with the same kindness & support they will offer a struggling friend.

📍 Set & Enforce Healthy Boundaries = ….. protect their mental & emotional health. Without clear limits with self & others, they disregard their own wants & needs – which are the foundations of boundaries. It may be challenging in the short term, but it promotes personal growth & improved relationships.

📍 Use Values to Make Decisions = ….. know it requires consistent effort & developing specific habits. They focus on controlling attention, practicing self-care, use values to make decisions, & have healthy boundaries.
These habits empower them to “hold & handle” their emotions, for a more fulfilled & balanced life.
Remember, emotional strength is not about suppressing emotions but responding to them in a healthy and constructive way.

NEXT : S-R :- EQ Leaders

PREVIOUS :
S-R & Emotional -EQ

EMOTIONAL DYSregulation  (E-D) is the inability to use healthy strategies to diffuse or moderate painful emotions. When in this state, we can act in ways that overwhelm us further, getting stuck in a vicious emotional cycle. It’s on a spectrum between under & over-reactive styles.Either extreme makes it hard to self-soothe & return to a baseline emotional state.
Research indicated that psychological dysfunction (such as affective or borderline personality disorders) may be identified as a lack of emotion-regulation flexibility

Someone with dysregulated emotions may have :
♦︎ extreme perfectionism
♦︎ high levels of shame, guilt
♦︎ heightened, unstable painful emotions
♦︎ high sensitivity to emotions in social situations
♦︎ inability to inhibit impulsive behaviors
♦︎ low tolerance for frustration
♦︎ obsessing on an emotional situation
♦︎ reduced awareness & understanding of emotions
♦︎ severe depression, &/or continual anxiety
♦︎ suicidal thoughts or attempts

Common reactions / behaviors :
♞ alcohol & substance abuse. Self-injury
♞ avoiding or withdrawal from difficult situations
♞ conflict in interpersonal relationship
♞ dissociating , numbness, distractibility
♞ emotional eating, sleep dysfunctions
♞ over-use of social media, neglecting other responsibilities
♞ impulsive, reckless . high risk sexual activity
♞ rage, &/or violent outbursts

LOW Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
♦︎ Limited Recognition: trouble accurately identifying emotions
♦︎ Emotional Ignorance : unable to handle emotional triggers
♦︎ Impulsive Reactions : have knee-jerk emotions & “acting-out’ behaviors
♦︎ Ineffective Coping : often use unhealthy strategies
♦︎ Reduced Empathy: makes interpersonal conflicts more likely & harder to resolve
♦︎ Trouble Verbalizing : Missing, inaccurate or distorted ways of expressing emotions often lead to miscommunication / misunderstanding, & conflicts, causing personal or work losses.

CHILDHOOD CAUSES
√ Environment. Whether is the family or the physical environment, a bad environment can negatively impact a person’s ability to process & respond to emotions.
√ Traumatic brain injury. A mental dysfunction caused by an outside force, usually a violent blow to the head.‌

√ Temperament – is determined by genetic inheritance, usually stable across time & situations. Differences in siblings show up very early in life. Some infants are calm & even-tempered, others tend to have more intense & longer stress-(over)reactions

√ Trauma – Experiencing or witnessing abuse, especially in childhood, causes catastrophic emotions which a child or adult cannot process, understand &/or integrate. This leads to severe emotional dysregulation. The overwhelming intensity of painful feelings can lead to developing long-term inflexible strategies

Child neglect. A form of parental abuse that deprives a child’s basic needs, including inadequate or missing —-> supervision, health care, clothing, or housing, as well as other physical, emotional, social, educational, & safety needs.
Chronic low levels of invalidation. This occurs when a person’s thoughts and feelings are rejected, ignored, or judged.

√ Attachment styles = Early connection-experiences shape emotion regulation abilities.  Infants need caregivers to help modulate their emotions through Attuned Bonding.  Without this, children fail to develop self-soothing capacities & instead will rely on external regulation, expressed as co-dependence, people-pleasing & passive-aggressive interactions. (See posts on Insecure attachment styles )

E-D Symptoms in  Related DISORDERS
Poor emotion regulation in childhood may increase the development of other mental health disorders. Also, having a neuro-developmental condition may include symptoms of poorer emotional regulation.

♛ Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Such people likely have strong reactions to small setbacks, feel emotions more intensely than others, have difficulty calming down, with a low tolerance for frustration or annoyance.

♛ Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
These people often have greater or more intense baseline levels of “negative” emotions or irritability, poorer problem-solving skills, can become easily overstimulated, & find it harder to detect other people’s emotions.

♛ Borderline personality disorder (BPD)
Symptoms are heightened & changeable negative moods, weak ur missing appropriate regulation strategies, & a surplus of unhealthy / self-defeating strategies.

♛ Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD)
Often diagnosed in adults or children with repeated trauma experiences (abuse, neglect, & violence).
E-D symptoms involve great trouble self-calming when distressed, & chronic emotional numbing.

♛ Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD)
This childhood condition can involve extreme moods & intense temper outbursts. It includes intense reactions to painful emotions with anger, irritability .
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‼️ For HEALING – RECOVERY ideas = see long lists in future posts —- >“Adults” & “Growth”

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PREVIOUS : S-R -Emotion Domain

SITEs : ▶︎  6 Key Skills to Regulate Emotions = Self-awareness, Mindful awareness, Cognitive reappraisal, Adaptability, Self-compassion, & Emotional support
▶︎ S-R Affirmation CARDS for WOMEN with ADHD & ANXIETY

▶︎ 3 Science-Based Emotion Regulation Strategies = Reappraisal, Self-soothing, Attentional control.Emotional Regulation (E-R) includes both pleasant & unpleasant emotions, & actively using the tools 🛠️ makes it possible for us to be in charge of them. It involves :
• Initiating actions triggered by emotions —-> Inhibiting those actions when necessary —-> & Modulating those responses.IMP :  Emotion regulation (E-R) is not aimed at eliminating our emotions, but rather being flexible, so we can manage many different experience with grace & humor ! Rigid or numb reactions are unhealthy, but flexibility makes adjustments to new information & experiences easier.

Emotional flexibility develops from learning a variety of mental & behavioral strategies (see “SITEs” ↑ & Chart ↓). They are to be used according to the demand of a current situation, & practiced through each person’s unique characteristics.

Under stress our brain’s natural reaction is to activate the amygdala, which regulates fight-or-flight responses. Using E-R tools lets us buy time to consider options, before automatically reacting in self-defeating ways. Functioning as a modifier, E-R helps us filter events in daily life, ☀︎choosing to deal with the most important issue presented so it doesn’t become a burden or dangerous.

“R.U.L.E.R.“= E-R used to cope with everyday situations & feelings
♚ Recognize emotions in myself & others
♚ Understand the triggers & causes of my emotions
♚ Label words that best describe feelings so I can communicate them accurately
♚ Express – learn how to act appropriately & skillfully in social situations
♚ Regulate – develop strategies to manage & moderate feelings. This will allow me to make wiser responses to emotional situations, & help reach my goals more easily.

E-R Skills are essential for personal ‘ease’, success & smooth-running relationships.  Categories they apply to :
• Behavioral = sensory-motor strategies
• Language = words or other symbols
• Meta-cognitive = ability to reflect on & talk about mental tools, including  skills that support personal organization & regulation

a. Self-regulation = achieved independently without the support of others.  Goals :
• Be available for learning, & to interact with others
• Regulate self during new & changing situations
• Recover from extreme dysregulation by oneself
• Use action strategies to regulate arousal level during familiar activities
• Use language strategies to regulate arousal (a trigger) during familiar activities

b. Mutual regulation = exercised in supportive social interactions.  Goals :
• Able to Express a range of emotions
• Respond to assistance offered by family, partners, friends
• Request assistance from valued ‘others’ to regulate state
• Respond well to feedback & guidance regarding behavior
• Recover from extreme dysregulation with support from valued ‘others’

⬇️  Gross  identified identified 5 types of responses in the emotional regulation process :  a. Situation selection, b. Situation modification, c. Attention deployment, d. Cognitive change & e. Response modulation

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Combining strategies
Gross stresses that emotions do not need to be regulated or modified all the time – only when they interfere with desired activity or goals. Gross and John, 2003
1. Cognitive re-appraisal (Antecedent) = correcting & modifying our interpretation of a situation that has triggered an emotion, and what effect that has on us
EXP : Chosing to stay calm when having to continue an important conversation with a ‘difficult’ person – because we are clear that their attitude is not about us!
AND  / OR
2. Expressive suppression (Response) = comes after the emotion is triggered, & does not influence the emotion itself, but rather its outcomes & consequences. That means being in charge of actions so they don’t lead us in the ‘wrong ‘ direction.

🔸 The first 4 strategies are used before the emotion registers, & are most effective because they affect which emotion shows up.
🔹 The 5th is used after the emotion has been activated (triggered), since it can change or modify how we reacted to it (behavior).

To be balanced, Emotional self-regulation allows us to handle our emotions appropriately – in most situations, most of the time – especially the “difficult” ones. Using our tools helps to keep us motivated toward desired goals, stick to personal standards, strengthen willpower, & keep our actions-to-emotions ratio in balance.
EXP : Even if really angry at someone, you can talk to them using direct & self-confident language – “When you don’t stick to our agreements, I feel powerless, frustrated & angry.”

NEXT : S-R – Emotional Intelligence

PREVIOUS: TOP-DOWN thinking

Actually, models of emotion regulation which emphasize a balance between top-down & bottom-up processing – highlight their mutual influence, while acknowledging that under some conditions, one or the other will exert the strongest regulatory effect.

DEFENITIONS  «
NEXT : Self-Reg. & Emotions (#1)

PREVIOUS : S-R Inhibition (#1)

SITEs : Proactive & Reactive inhibitory brain areas

•  Being “Reactive & Proactive at WORK”

<—- Fig. A & B
Different arrow thicknesses represent different strengths of activated influences – priming & reinforcement.  The large, blue arrow starts from the frontal lobe & goes to the parietal-occipital ones, showing how the brain enables us to quickly focus attention.
To make sense of the world, we take in energy from the environment, which the brain converts to neural sensations. Then it interprets these sensory signals as perception.
This information allows for mental control by 2 inhibitory modes : Reactive – to prevent problems & Proactive – to achieve goals, depending on when an action is being curtailed.

♦︎ Reactive prevention is the ‘bottom-up‘ mode : whenever the environment influences our thinking & emotions. There’s no learning, & perceptions are based on whatever new input comes in from the current external situation.
EXP : Someone trying to avoid losses will play it safe or do what they ‘ought’ to do.

Being Reactive implies you don’t have the initiative, letting events set the agenda. You’re tossed around by the tides of life, each new wave catching you by surprise. Huffing & puffing, you scramble to react just to stay afloat.

★“Proactive Thinking” (the reverse) is the  ‘top-down’ mode. It’s when our thinking influences how we feel about ourself & the world, which helps to anticipate the near future – based on experience & the right info – preparing us ahead of time to respond according to what’s needed.
EXP: Focus is on potential benefits when working toward a favorite goal.

Proactivity is ‘grace under fire’ – so when you’re in choppy waters you can manage well. It takes energy to rise above current difficulties, to see the big picture & make needed changes.  It’s not just anticipating the waves – it’s being in tune with them, not desperately trying to escape. You ebb & flow with events, drawing on them as a source of energy. (“BEING Proactive” excellent)

⛔️ Sometimes we don’t have that energy to cope – then in reactivity. Remember : that is a ‘normal human’ response to stress-overload, NOT a personal failure. So there’s no point in berating ourself for slowing sown.
THEN the best proactive thing you can do is to take a break. Use “Time Out” to review what & how you’re doing something, & plan how to get back on track – with a smile!

Proactive inhibition is regulated by the Prefrontal Cortex, (thinking & logic, higher-order emotional awareness, & speaking).  As the brain picks up new experiences (stimuli), stored info from memory is ‘sent down’ to the physical senses. Together they make sense of the input, in a broad overview, without needing to identify every detail.

Top-down & bottom-up processes take different routes to influence emotional learning.  Both are activated in the prefrontal cortex, but
— left side when using T-D is via increased language processing, while the
— right side when using B-U may relate to shifting ones attention between events.

Clinical disorders
Research also indicate that both T-D & B-U styles may play a role in emotional disorders, & that optimal treatment plans differ, depending on which of the 2 processes mainly generated the dysfunction

Bottom-up abnormalities might be modified or changed most effectively using behavioral reinforcement methods that reshape response reactions over time.
Top-down abnormalities may best be addressed using cognitive restructuring methods that change how a person consciously evaluates PPT (people, places, things).  IMAGE ⬆️  Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the suggested modalities.

ED with NISSI
At the neuro-cognitive level, the compulsion to self-harm when emotionally distressed – is most closely linked to the impairment of a person’s response-inhibition ability.

Emotion dysregulation is a core feature of different self-injurious behaviors. 55% of people who engage in NSSI ➡️ report some disordered eating habits (ED), which are considered “direct” & “indirect” forms of self-injury – respectively.
Inhibitory control has 3 stages : (1) interference over emotional impulses (2) action restraint or suppression (early response), (3) action cancellation or termination (late response). At the neuro-cognitive level, the compulsion to self-harm when emotionally distressed – is most closely linked to the impairment of a person’s response-inhibition ability. (MORE…..)

NEXT : S-R Inhibition (#3)

PREVIOUS : Bottom-UP

PREVIOUS : Executive Function, #2
SITE : Asking Questions

PREVIOUS : Self-regulation – Inhibition

Self-Control (S-C) vs. Self-Regulation (S-R)

Self-regulation is about identifying & reducing the causes of  mood, thought & behavior problems. It’s deliberately being in charge of what those T.E.As are, in ways that allow us to provide our needs & promote desires. It includes goal-setting, habit formation, emotional regulation and self-control.

Self-control (S-C)  is always searching for hidden stressors. It’s the ability to resolve conflicts between our short-term desires & long-term goals.  Stuart Shanker (2016) wrote : “Self-control inhibits strong impulses, but only a small part of S-R, & is more valuable in the long run.” EXP : I’m trying to lose weight, but I’d rather a burger than a salad …

Successful self-control means choosing to sacrifice a smaller immediate pleasure (binge watching TV) and instead – pursuing an option that yields a larger but delayed reward (working on or finishing a project).

A S-R ‘failure‘ means ignoring the delayed reward in order to get immediate pleasure, which is called a ‘temptation’. So, does giving in to temptations really make us happy?

Researcher gave smart phones to a group of young people, & at random times asked them if they were currently experiencing a temptation.
If they said “yes”, they were to indicate whether they indulged or not, & how they felt about their choice.  Although responders did get short-term pleasure from giving in, it didn’t increase their overall happiness. On the contrary – they felt less happy soon afterward.

However, not all decisions we make when choosing between immediate pleasures & long-term rewards cause inner conflict.
— For S-C inhibition to be triggered, we have to experience stress about the choice, such as “I really want cake BUT should pick salad”
— However, there will not be any conflict IF you don’t care about your health or you don’t like sweets. So you can freely pick either one.

DEVELOPMENT:  The background to Self-control & Self Regulation is ancient, going back as the writings of Plato.
♥︎ S-R can also be traced to Hippocrates, whose work evolved into the 20th cent. science of Physiology, which looks at bodily systems that keep the balance between energy output & restoration.
More recently much focus has been put on stress management & how S-R can help’
S-R is mainly about social interactions.

♠︎ S-C has traditionally been used by religious authorities & educators, who’ve worked on building character to strengthen ‘willpower’. This eventually developed into Behavioral Psychology, which looks for ways to contain the surface effects of imbalance, using age-old methods of punishment & reward to manage behavior.
S-C is only about individuals.

GOAL: Both styles aim to achieve “effortful control”- the ability to voluntarily focus one’s attention, which results in inhibiting or activating actions in response to their environment.

S-R is a way of reducing the amount of work needed to reach this “effortful control”, by keeping track of one’s impulses, worries & fixations – without being judgmental.
S-C instead encourages battling one’s ‘weaknesses’ to achieve “effortful control”, by judging oneself harshly, as well as being judged BY others (controlled by what others think of us).

When most people consider Self-control, we usually assume it means trying to force the brain to ignore or drown out uncomfortable or painful emotions. We take a deep breath, count to 10, or more often do something to distract ourself…..

While such activities may temporarily help some, they’re basically flawed, since we’re expecting the prefrontal cortex to make decisions that will override the limbic system. But once we’re upset, the emotional brain has already taken control, so the rational part is at a big disadvantage.

That’s where Self-Regulation comes in. Simply trying to ‘push through’ emotions when they get triggered is setting oneself up for failure. To S-regulate we have to first identify the stressors & work to reduce or eliminate them.

INTERESTING: An international team of researchers (in 2013) identified that robust white matter connectivity between specific brain regions is key to fluid intelligence & thinking proactively (strong self-regulation).
Conversely, they found that poor white matter organization is linked to hyper-reactivity (too much S-C) and anxiety, from paying too much attention to irrelevant internal or external stimuli. (MORE….)

NEXT : Self-Regulation = Top-Down processing

PREVIOUS : Bottom-Up S-R

SITE: ‘Common S-R strategies for students‘

Self-regulation (S-R) creates identity in modern individualistic society. Children construct their values within their cultural & use to them when making decisions for taking actions. This resulting S-R is needed for human beings to prosper in the face of adversity.

4 components that propel self-regulation into action are:
❕ having standards of desirable behavior
❕ having the motivation to meet those standards
❕ monitoring situations and thoughts
❕executing willpower – internal strength to control urges

EXP : Monitoring and Willpower are cognitive mechanisms, willpower is the ability to resist temptations, & monitoring is one strategy to help with this resistance. 

They 4 tools were designed to help students find their values & virtues in order to self-regulate so they can become the person they want to be.
However, these skills are equally useful for adults, especially for anyone who didn’t learn good study habits in childhood.

Applying them consistently allow a person to :
• work independently & develop flexibility skills
• organize work assignments, complete expected task(s), review completed work, & continue to the next job
• experience success because they stick with challenging problems in order to find solutions.

3. Self-monitoring
Def: Keeping track of one’s progress & recording the results. Though it doesn’t create new skills or knowledge, it does increase or decrease activity according to – how fast, how often or how long is needed to be successful. This strategy helps to:
📍stay focused on the task
📍increase awareness of ones behavior & attitude
📍provide more immediate feedback evaluated objectively
📍clearly show improvement over time