It’s impossible to be in control of our emotions all the time. After all, we’re only human, and we react to things in different ways as they happen, whether we want to or not. We may get overly excited about something we’re passionate about during a time when it’s probably not the most appropriate, or we might find ourselves getting a little too heated when someone insults someone close to us.
In moments when your child’s mental health might not be the strongest, navigating and controlling your emotions can feel like a lost battle. It can feel that way too when you’re trying to understand them too. For your child however, it may feel like they’re fighting with their mental illness to see who is in control over their brain and how they respond to things, and before they know it, you find themselves on edge and even the slightest inconvenience can have them bursting into tears. It can be hard on you too; you can’t read their mind and know why they’re reacting in this way, and you may find yourself losing control over your emotions in trying to understand theirs.
And although feeling like your child feeling like they don’t have control, especially over their emotions and reactions can be incredibly overwhelming, it’s not impossible for them to take that control back.
The Internet has a few guides on how to control your emotions when they’re leaning on the more negative side. These include taking a deep breath and taking a moment to ground yourself before reacting to something, rewinding to see how you got to that feeling in the first place, and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones to redirect your mood.
And remember this: although it can feel like you’re fighting yourself over the remote control for your brain and emotions, you have the strength to take it back. No matter what, that remote will always end up back in your hand. Encouraging that for both yourself and your child, especially in times of conflict, can make the biggest difference.
Have you ever felt like you weren’t in control of your emotions? What patterns have you noticed in your child when it looks like they’re not in control of their emotions? What advice would you share with them about improving how they feel?