1. Open app
2. Chose a silhouette that represent yourself
3. Start drawing your emotions
4. If you want, you can save the created drawing using the screenshot option
5. Observe your emotions in the long term

Emotions are bodily reactions (physiological, neurological, behavioral, verbal) that occur when attention is paid to, and reactions to, internal and external events are significant. Emotions prompt action. They can be harmful, and the intensity or duration is inappropriate in the given situation (Gross, 2014).

Functions of emotions

• Fear - Signals potential danger and motivates to engage in a defensive response (e.g., attack or flight). Fear motivates the search for a solution or a safe environment.
• Anger - Signals possible threats, injustice, and violation of boundaries. Anger energizes and motivates action or struggle and change.
• Disgust - Signals something harmful or toxic (such as rotten food) and motivates us to stay away from it. Disgust ensures survival, helps avoid unpleasant situations, and motivates the termination of unfavourable relationships.
• Sadness - Signals loss or failure and the need for help. Sadness prompts action and motivates to change the situation and achieve new goals.
• Joy - Signals about things and events that are important. Joy drives us to achieve goals, creates a desire to act and develops motivation. Inspires to accept the world around.
• Shame - Signals that our behavior or actions may lead to rejection or ostracism. Motivates to act to ensure one's belonging in society or group. Shame protects against reckless behavior.
• Blame - Signals that our behavior or actions have caused harm to others (or ourselves). Guilt is closely related to empathy and concern for others. It motivates us to repair the damage done or prevent it from happening in the future, for example by apologizing and admitting mistakes.
• Interest - Helps to focus and maintain attention for a long time, developing skills and abilities. Motivates to act to achieve the goal. Develops curiosity, imagination, and fantasy.

(Irons, 2019)

People often have difficulties with identifying emotional experiences and recognizing emotions. Research shows that a person who reflects by analyzing himself and his emotions is more effective in making decisions, separating his needs from the needs of others.

If emotions are not recognized, it can lead to professional burnout, reduced work efficiency, depressive symptoms, somatization, and anxiety. A person can be aware of emotions, but not be able to endure or regulate them. Emotions can also be repressed or diverted from the primary object to another and vented, for example anger at the boss is taken home and vented on loved ones (Hawkins & Shohet, 2006; Mcwilliams, 2011).

Emotion regulation (ER) is defined as the ability to be aware of and understand emotional experiences, accept emotions, control impulsive behavior, and use situationally appropriate ER strategies to achieve individual goals. Emotion regulation occurs by modifying the type, duration, intensity, and situations in which emotions are experienced (Gratz & Roemer, 2004; Gross, 2015).

Seven adaptive emotion regulation skills:

1. The ability to be aware of emotions (awareness)
2. Ability to recognize and name emotions (identifying and labeling)
3. The ability to understand what initiates and maintains specific emotions (understanding)
4. The ability to actively transform emotions according to their intensity, duration (modification)
5. The ability to accept and endure unpleasant emotions, in situations where it is impossible to change them (acceptance and tolerance)
6. Ability to confront situations that can cause negative emotions (readiness to confront)
7. Ability to support oneself in stressful situations (effective self-support)

Good emotion regulation skills help a person to be more aware, able to manage emotions, know their needs and be more resilient in stressful situations (Berking & Whitley, 2014). Developing emotion regulation skills contributes to solving problems rationally and purposefully.

Sources:

• Berking, M., & Whitley, B. (2014). The Adaptive Coping with Emotions Model (ACE Model). In: Affect Regulation Training: A Practitioners' Manual (pp. 19-29). Springer .
• Gratz, K. L., & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional Assessment of Emotion Regulation and Dysregulation: Development, Factor Structure, and Initial Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26(1), 41-54.
• Gross (Ed.), Handbook of Emotion Regulation, Second Edition (pp. 3-14). Guilford Publications.
• Hawkins, P., & Shohet, Robin. (2006). PART ONE: The supervisee's perspective. In Supervision in the helping professions. Third edition (pp. 15-32). Open University Press.
• Irons, C. (2019). The Compassionate Mind Approach to Difficult Emotions: Using Compassion Focused Therapy. Robinson.
• Mcwilliams, N. (2011). Psychoanalytic Diagnosis Understanding Personality Structure in the Clinical Process. The Guilford press.