1. Increase Emotional Awareness 4 steps

Learn to notice and name emotions as they arise.

• 1. Emotion Check-Ins — Set 3 reminders daily to pause and ask: 'What am I feeling right now?' Name the emotion without judgment.

• 2. Body Scanning — Practice a brief body scan to notice where emotions live in your body. Tension, warmth, heaviness—what do you notice?

• 3. Expand Your Vocabulary — Move beyond 'good' or 'bad.' Learn nuanced words: anxious, overwhelmed, content, hopeful, irritated, peaceful.

• 4. Track Patterns — Keep a simple emotion log for a week. Note what you felt, when, and what triggered it. Look for patterns.

2. Create Space Between Stimulus and Response. 4 steps

Build the ability to pause before reacting to strong emotions.

• 1. The Sacred Pause — When you notice strong emotion rising, pause. Take one breath. Give yourself a moment before speaking or acting.

• 2. Name It to Tame It — Mentally label the emotion: 'This is anger' or 'I'm feeling anxious.' Naming reduces intensity.

• 3. Question Your First Impulse — When you want to react, ask: 'Will this help the situation? What would my wisest self do?'

• 4. Practice STOP — Stop what you're doing, Take a breath, Observe what you're feeling, Proceed mindfully. Use this in charged moments.

3. Develop Regulation Skills 4 steps

Build practical techniques for managing intense emotions.

• 1. Physiological Calming — Learn to activate your calm response: slow exhales, cold water on wrists, progressive muscle relaxation.

• 2. Reframe Thoughts — Practice catching unhelpful thoughts and asking: 'Is this true? Is there another way to see this?'

• 3. Ride the Wave — Practice allowing emotions to be present without acting on them. Notice they peak and then naturally decrease.

• 4. Opposite Action — When emotion urges unhelpful action, try the opposite. Angry and want to yell? Speak softly. Sad and want to isolate? Reach out.