Ownership: An Awareness Technique for Emotional Regulation that Puts You in Control
Respect • Ownership • Connection • Kindness
By Lee Havenga | April 3, 2025
Mastering techniques for emotional regulation starts with a simple but powerful first step—awareness. When you recognize what you’re feeling in the moment, you take control of your emotions rather than letting them control you.
This article is the first of a three-part series on real techniques for emotional regulation, starting with the first ‘A’ of Ownership—becoming Aware of your emotions. The more you understand your emotional landscape, the more equipped you’ll be to ROCK thru and make choices that align with who you truly are and live your best life.
APPLY IT IN 10 MINUTES
(1 minute, 10 times throughout the day)
Pause to Identify and Label Emotions
Preparation:
- Obtain a Feelings Wheel: Download and print a feelings wheel, such as the one inspired by the work of Dr. Gloria Willcox.
- Familiarize Yourself with the Wheel: Review the feelings wheel to understand how over 65 emotions stem from six basic feelings: sad, bad, fearful, angry, disgusted, happy and surprised.
Technique:
1. Schedule 10 Pauses for Emotional Check-Ins
Choose a day to consciously pause ten times, dedicating one minute each to recognize and label your emotions using the feelings wheel.
2. Identify and Label Emotions
During each pause, reflect on your current feelings and use the wheel to pinpoint specific emotions.
3. Reflect on Emotional Triggers
Consider the situations or thoughts that led to these emotions to gain insight into your emotional responses.
DEEPEN THE IMPACT
Maintain an emotion journal for a week to track your feelings, identify patterns, and understand recurring emotional triggers. This practice enhances self-awareness and informs better emotional regulation strategies.
MORE RESOURCES
For a deeper understanding of mastering your emotions, watch Dr. Tracey Marks’ video dispelling 10 common myths about emotions.
Sources:
Willcox, Gloria. “The Feeling Wheel.” Transactional Analysis Journal, vol. 12, no. 4, 1982, pp. 274-276.
“Understanding Emotions: 15 Ways to Identify Your Feelings.” Positive Psychology, https://positivepsychology.com/understanding-emotions/.
“6 Ways to Identify and Process Your Emotions.” Psych Central, https://psychcentral.com/health/inventive-ways-to-identify-and-process-your-emotions.
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