A Guide to Emotional Balance

Hello! Welcome to another edition of ABC of Mental Health, your partner to better mental health, one newsletter at a time. March 30th is World Bipolar Day—a reminder of the importance of emotional regulation. We all sometimes experience intense highs and lows, and understanding emotional balance is vital to build resilience, self-compassion, and stronger relationships.

If you enjoy reading this, share it with someone today 😊

One relevant recommendation:

Sensory Grounding
When emotions feel overwhelming, using your senses can help bring you back to the present moment. Try the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique as it can help regulate your nervous system and provide a sense of stability in moments of emotional intensity:

• Name 5 things you see 🏡

• Touch 4 textures around you 🤲

• Listen to 3 sounds 👂

• Identify 2 scents 👃

• Recognise 1 taste 👅

Two Quotes on Emotional Regulation and Health:

Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness expert and author, on emotional awareness:
"You are not your emotions. You have emotions, but you are not defined by them."

Dr. Marsha Linehan, creator of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), on embracing emotions:
"There is no such thing as a bad emotion—only emotions that need to be understood and expressed in healthy ways."

Three TherapyShorts from TST

1. Recognising the Signs of Emotional Dysregulation
   Emotional dysregulation can show up in different ways—sudden mood shifts, difficulty calming down, impulsive actions, or feeling stuck in emotional extremes. Identifying your personal triggers and patterns can be the first step toward self-awareness. What emotions feel the hardest for you to manage?

2. Building a Personalized Emotional Regulation Toolkit
   Coping strategies vary from person to person. It’s important to build, customise, and strengthen ones that work for you. Some people find comfort in movement (walking, stretching); others in sensory grounding, deep breathing, or structured routines. Some others benefit even from stepping away, journaling, meditating, or self-soothing. Experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you!

3. Moving Away from Labels—We All Experience Dysregulation
   Instead of seeing emotional dysregulation as something only certain people struggle with, it helps to recognise that we all experience nervous system dysregulation—just in different ways and to different degrees. Rather than focusing on labels, we can shift our attention to understanding how our emotions show up and what helps regulate them. Compassion for ourselves and others goes a long way in this process.

A QUESTION?

What helps you manage intense emotions? Vote here!

Last week, we asked you what’s one way you like to cultivate joy, and the responses were… (drumroll please)…

Love and light,

The Social Therapist

P.S. Self-destruct

\