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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting sections (baby, pregnancy, family), psychology and beauty
We cannot always fight against the negative emotions and other limiting thoughts that come to us every day. However, researchers have found THE solution to regulate them.
A study published in the journal Psychological Science was interested in the regulation of emotions. Joy, sadness, anger, surprise, or even fear… There is a wide range of emotions and the researchers wanted to answer a question: can knowing why we feel a negative emotion help us to better manage it? Here is the answer from the experts.
Understanding the cause of negative emotions, real benefits
To carry out their work, the researchers evaluated 396 adults over a period of 7 days. Participants were asked to answer several questionnaires about their negative thoughts during the assessment. To go further and find out if knowing the source of negative emotions made it possible to regulate them; the scientists also analyzed the frequency of attempts to regulate emotions, the use of these regulation strategies as well as the candidates’ perception of success in this regulation. Results ? Participants who understand the origin of their negative emotions are able to regulate these emotions more compared to those who do not understand the source of these disorders. Another benefit, when we understand why we have these thoughts, we would tend to repress them less and avoid avoidance strategies (doing something else without trying to understand). Finally, people who fear their negative emotions implement effective emotion regulation strategies.
Good in his body, good in his head!
Several effective emotion regulation strategies
Researchers have been able to highlight several strategies for regulating negative emotions that are particularly effective in people who understand the origin of these thoughts. Indeed, the participants used the cognitive reappraisal technique, that is, changing the way we think when negative emotions invade us. They were also better able to change the uncomfortable situation that generated these negative emotions. Paid solutions because they allow you to obtain a significant feeling of success in regulating emotions.
“This study is the first to explore the link between attribution to the source of emotion and the regulation of emotions in daily life. Our results suggest that identifying the causes of negative emotions could be essential for regulating them” can we read at the conclusion of this research work.
Would better understanding one’s negative emotions be the key to happiness and daily well-being?
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