The Journal
Emotional Regulation
Insights
Practical articles on nervous system science and tools you can use in real life.
When Anger Becomes a Wall: How Rage Protects Us From Softer Feelings
For many people, anger is the only emotion that feels safe to express. Understanding what lies beneath it can change everything.
The Science of Seeing Red: What Anger Is Really Trying to Tell You
Anger has a bad reputation. But neuroscience and evolutionary biology suggest it is one of our most useful emotions — if we know how to listen to it.
The Regulation Window: Why Feeling Emotions Fully Is Not the Same as Being Overwhelmed by Them
Emotional regulation is not about feeling less. It is about expanding your capacity to feel more — safely. Here is the science behind the "window of tolerance."
The Case for Emotional Literacy: Why Learning to Name Feelings Changes Your Brain
Researchers call it "affect labeling." It turns out that finding words for your feelings is one of the most powerful tools for managing them.
The Anatomy of Shame: Why Our Most Painful Emotion Is Also Our Most Hidden
Shame hides itself better than any other emotion — which is part of why it does so much damage. Here is what research reveals about how it works.
The Anatomy of Guilt: A Painful Feeling That Actually Wants to Help
Guilt is one of the least comfortable emotions — and one of the most useful. Research on what makes it healthy versus harmful offers a way forward.
The Science of Sadness: Why This Quiet Emotion Is More Useful Than You Think
Sadness has long been seen as something to overcome. A growing body of research suggests it is something to learn from.
Why Emotional Suppression Does Not Work — And What to Do Instead
Decades of research are consistent: trying not to feel something tends to make you feel it more. Here is what the science suggests we do instead.