Emotional regulation is the process of
recognizing and managing strong feelings. A
person begins in a neutral or calm emotional
state, and then something happens
that causes him to experience a positive or
negative emotion. Sometimes the emotion is
so strong that it results in outward behavior,
such as a facial expression (like a smile) or
physical action (like pushing a peer). Eventually
the person returns to a calm state—that is,
he regulates the emotion. To do this, he identifies
the emotion he feels, recalls what has
calmed him in the past during overwhelming
emotions, and carries out that calming process
to complete the cycle (Gross & Thompson
2007). For young children, mastery of emotional
regulation begins with experiencing
emotions, then moves to understanding those