Adults with ADHD have trouble with regulating their emotions and may react faster than those without ADHD. They can become easily frustrated, upset, sad and angry and they tend to convey their emotions very strongly. This can also cause them to have difficulty getting along with others. If you are having difficulty regulating your emotions, here are 4 tips to help.
Awareness – If you are not aware of when you are overly emotional, how can you manage it? It will be impossible. Start to keep an eye on your emotions and give them names. Sometimes we can find it hard to figure out what we are feeling. Given the emotion a name, will give you clarity which is important in moving forward.
Discover the Why of Your Emotions – Once you have figured out how you are feeling; now you will want to find out why you are feeling it. What is causing this emotion? Of course there is going to be millions of reason, and to figure this out ask yourself, like you would a friend, What is wrong? What is causing me to feel like this? Your mind will always look for the answer. A majority of the time, the way you are thinking about the situation is the reason why you are feeling the way that you do. Another big reason why we are feeling the negative emotions are because of our values are not present in that moment. Don’t forget to discover the why.
Ask Yourself “What Is the Solution”? – Once you have figured out the why, take time to think about what you can do to take control back. In certain situations, you may need to change the way you think about a situation. This is because your thoughts lead directly to your feelings, so when you are feeling bad, you are most likely having a negative thought that is making you feel that way. When you start to think of other ways of looking at the situation, you will start to feel better.
Chose How You Want To React – This is the most difficult part. The way that we react and manage our emotions is a habit. Learn how to listen to your emotions, to indentify, understand and then choose them, isn’t this something that you decide to practice a few times a week. No, it is with continuous effort & discipline that you will start to build this essential skill.