Have you ever said something out of anger that you later came to regret. Do you allow fear to keep you from taking risks that could benefit you? If so you’re not alone. Emotions are powerful. Your mood influences how you connect with others how much money you spend how you handle problems and how you spend your time. Fortunately, anybody can learn to control their emotions. Managing your emotions, like any other skill needs practice and attention. Here are seven ways to gain better control over your emotions.

1. Observe the Impact of Your Emotions

Intense emotions are not all bad. According to the psychotherapist emotions give our life excitement Individuality and enthusiasm. Strong emotions may indicate that we completely embrace life and are not suppressing our natural reactions. It’s completely normal to occasionally feel emotionally overwhelmed when something wonderful happens or something terrible occurs or when you feel like you missed something. So how do you know when there is a problem? When you find due to emotions regularly you face difficulties in relationships or friendships. Getting into trouble at work or school. Or maybe sometimes using substances to control emotional urges. And sometimes physical or emotional outbursts. Take some time to assess how your uncontrollable emotions are influencing your daily life. By identifying problem areas you can track progress and success.

2. Label Your Emotions

Before you can change how you feel you must first recognize what you are feeling. Are you nervous, disappointed or sad? Remember that anger sometimes covers emotions that feel vulnerable such a shame or embarrassment. Pay close attention to what’s happening inside of you. Give your feelings a name. Be aware that you may feel a variety of feelings at once such as anxiety, frustration and impatient. Labeling emotions can reduce your emotional impact on it which enables you to make more reasoned decisions as a result.

3. Re-frame Your Thinking

Your thoughts influence how you interpret the events. If you think this networking event will be a waste of time. Nobody will talk to me and I will appear like a fool. Then stop thinking and remind yourself that it’s up to me to gain something out of this event. I will introduce myself to others and show interest to learn more about them. Before judging or evaluating anything it’s important to consider your emotional state and how that might be affecting your perspective. Then try to view the situation from a more objective standpoint to better understand it. Sometimes it’s helpful to take a step back and try to think of what advice we would give our friends if they were in the same situation. By answering this question some of the emotions will go away which will allow us to approach the problem more logically. If you find yourself obsessing over negative thoughts it may be helpful to change the focus of your attention. A simple physical activity like going for a walk or cleaning off your desk can help break the cycle of reflection.

4. Keep a Mood Diary

Keeping a mood journal can help you better understand your emotions and reactions to different situations. Recording your feelings and the responses they trigger can help you identify patterns that might be causing problems. Sometimes it’s helpful to simply revisit your thoughts and feelings in mind allowing you more time to consider them. This process can also help you better understand yourself. As well as you can better manage difficult emotions in situations like work problems or family conflicts.

5. Engage in a Mood Booster

When you are in a bad mood you are likely involved in things that keep you in the same situation. Such as isolating yourself from others mindlessly scrolling your phone or complaining to those around you. However, those things will keep you trapped in the same mood. Only positive actions will help you feel better in the long run. You need to take action and make progress if you want to improve your situation. Try to recall your favorite activities while you are happy. You will start to feel better when you will start doing those activities when you are in a bad mood. Here are a few examples of mood boosters. Call a friend to discuss something nice not to continue complaining Go for a walk. Meditate for a few minutes – According to will behavioral brain study at New York University, Center for Neuroscience a daily meditation practice of thirteen minutes for eight weeks helped improve people’s mood and emotional control. Listen to uplifting music. Watching of funny video. Spending time with your pet.

6. Take a Deep Breath

The feelings won’t go away by themselves by slowing down or focusing on your breathing. Still practicing deep breathing techniques can assist you in centering yourself. And taking a step back from the initial powerful emotion and any extreme reaction you want to avoid. When you’re feeling emotional try to practice the box breathing technique. It is so effective even US Navy Seals use this relaxing method to reduce stress and improve focus. There are four steps in the box breathing technique. First Take a four seconds deep breathe through your nose. Then hold your breath for four seconds. Third, breathe out slowly for four seconds through your mouth. Then hold your breath for four seconds. Repeat the box for five minutes or until you feel comfortable.

7. Seek Professional Support

You do not have to go through this entirely alone. Consider seeking professional support from a therapist, if you find it useful. Your therapist can assist you and unpacking your triggers and working on any unresolved trauma that might be causing them. It might be challenging to control emotions. And there will probably be some feeling that occasionally wins, such as anger. However, the more time and effort you will give to control your emotions, you will become mentally stronger. You will gain self confidence in your ability to manage discomfort and you can make a healthy choice that shifts your mood.