Give yourself and others permission to feel their emotions without judgment, as this creates the necessary conditions for genuine emotional processing and healthy relationships.
Apply the RULER skills (Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing, Regulating) to your own and others’ emotions, striving for precise language to differentiate between similar feelings (e.g., anger vs. disappointment, happiness vs. contentment).
Connect your feelings to their underlying reasons, as understanding the ‘why’ behind an emotion is crucial for selecting the most effective regulation strategies.
Use the Mood Meter (mapping emotions on energy/pleasantness axes) to regularly check in and understand your current emotional state, recognizing that emotions are transient and will change.
When supporting others, be non-judgmental, empathic, compassionate, and an active listener; avoid trying to ‘fix’ their feelings or telling them what to do, instead ask questions to help them explore their experience.
Do not suppress emotions, as this tends to lead to negative outcomes; instead, practice reappraising your feelings to manage them more effectively.
Employ strategies like the ‘hot air balloon’ perspective (looking down on your life) or the ‘picture frame’ technique (viewing interactions as a TV show) to gain psychological distance and perspective on overwhelming or negative emotions.
Actively reframe challenging situations as opportunities, and ask yourself if a current stressor will still matter in the near future to reduce its immediate impact.
Focus on striving for contentment—a state of feeling complete and having enough—rather than constantly chasing happiness, which can often backfire and lead to despair.
Engage in regular gratitude practices to counter envy, appreciate what you have, and foster overall well-being and even increased achievement.
Gain self-knowledge of your personality traits (e.g., introversion/extroversion) to better select and tailor emotion regulation strategies that work best for you.
Politically assert your needs and boundaries, especially when feeling drained, to protect your energy and prevent emotional overwhelm.
Limit text messaging for important emotional communication, as it can decrease emotional intelligence; prioritize face-to-face or phone calls to foster stronger bonds and avoid miscommunication.
Confront bullies calmly, directly, and firmly, setting clear boundaries, as this can be a powerful act of courage and lead to a change in their behavior.
Engage in regular therapy, viewing it as equally important as regular exercise for maintaining and improving mental and emotional well-being, gaining insights, and developing better coping strategies.
Control the temperature of your sleeping environment (e.g., with a smart mattress cover) to ensure adequate amounts of quality sleep, as a body temperature drop is crucial for falling and staying deeply asleep.