Mengenal Emosi dan Regulasi Emosi

Summary

Clinical psychologist Veka Angge Prawita explains that emotions are natural, universal, and valid. Learning to recognize them can help people understand themselves, make more thoughtful choices, and build healthier relationships.

Wellness and self-care strategies

• Notice and name emotions regularly. Check in with yourself during everyday situations, rather than only occasionally. Emotions can become more complex with age, so try to identify more than basic feelings such as happiness, anger, sadness, fear, surprise, and disgust.
• Pay attention to body signals. Emotions can show up physically, and noticing those sensations may help you recognize what you are feeling.
• Look beneath visible behavior. Like an iceberg, anger or withdrawal may conceal hurt, loneliness, fear, rejection, exhaustion, or feeling overwhelmed. Consider what unmet need might be underneath the emotion.
• Treat emotions as information, not enemies. Sadness, anxiety, or embarrassment can point toward needs such as grieving a loss, seeking clarity, or wanting acceptance.
• Pause before reacting. When emotions are intense, take a breath and allow yourself to calm down before deciding what to say or do. This can reduce impulsive reactions and regret.
• Use clear communication. Tell someone you trust what you feel instead of shouting, disappearing, or ending a relationship abruptly. Calm communication can help resolve problems constructively.
• Set boundaries and share carefully. Trust develops gradually. Consider how close and trustworthy someone is before sharing private feelings or information, including on social media.
• Reflect on your emotional patterns. Ask what happens in your body and mind when you get angry, and what other feelings may be present. Journaling or other personal reflection can support self-awareness.

Repeatedly suppressing or ignoring emotions may contribute to ongoing stress and difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, burnout, or sleep problems. Emotional maturity does not mean never feeling upset; it means understanding your feelings and choosing a healthy response.

Presenters and sources mentioned

• Presenter: Veka Angge Prawita, clinical psychologist
• Study source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), described as involving 701 participants
• Theory: Social Penetration Theory, developed by Irwin Altman and Dalmas Taylor