What Is Emotion Regulation?

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Avoiding emotions makes them more intense and more frequent over time.

Feeling strong emotions isn't a bad thing.

Approaching emotions builds confidence and reduces overwhelm.

Emotional sensitivity, or neuroticism, refers to how easily negative emotions trigger you. If you’re on the higher side of this trait, you likely react more strongly to stressors and take longer to calm down afterward. You’re probably well-versed in anxiety, sadness, guilt, and frustration, and these emotions may interfere with how you pursue your goals.

For example, strong anxiety might stop you from stepping outside your comfort zone in your career and personal life, or prevent you from making decisions for fear that you may choose poorly. Sadness might drain your motivation, making it harder to follow through on plans. Guilt can keep you stuck overanalyzing past decisions or prioritizing other people’s needs at the expense of your own, whereas frustration might lead you to give up too quickly when things don’t go as planned, or react in ways that strain your relationships.

Despite these consequences, experiencing intense emotions........

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