Parenting strategies can assist adults with emotional regulation

Parenting strategies designed to help children manage intense emotions can also be applied to adults to improve emotional regulation and mental wellness. Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatry associate professor at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences, notes that adults often focus on tasks rather than their own emotional states, frequently failing to treat themselves with the same compassion they offer their children.

One applicable technique is the ‘preemptive time-out,’ where an individual removes themselves from a stressful situation to cool down before reacting impulsively. Another method involves assessing whether a challenge is a ‘big or little problem’ to prevent overreacting to minor stressors, a technique commonly used in preschool settings to help children manage outsized reactions.