New publication: What really matters in emotion regulation?
Source: Colourbox
Most research assumes that some emotion regulation strategies are simply “good” or “bad.” But what if the key to emotional well-being isn't about choosing the right strategy — but the right one for you?
In our new study, we introduce a novel way to measure emotion regulation monitoring: the ability to use the strategies that work best for you in daily life. We analyzed data from 13 intensive longitudinal studies, covering 1.798 participants and over 160.000 observations.
Key findings were:
There’s little evidence that people have a general skill for managing emotions across strategies. Instead, well-being was higher among those who used strategies they could successfully implement.
The takeaway:
Personal fit matters. Emotion regulation isn't one-size-fits-all. Monitoring and using what works for you might be the real secret to feeling better.
Wenzel, M., Philippi, P., & Kaurin, A. (2025). Examining everyday emotion regulation as an ability: Emotion regulation monitoring, but not general strategy implementation ability, is significantly associated with affective well-being in daily life. European Journal of Personality, 0(0), 1-17. DOI: 10.1177/08902070251332665
