#5: Session 4 > MBT Recognizing and regulating emotions

🎙️ Episode 5 – Session 4: Recognizing and Regulating Emotions

Welcome back.

In the previous session, we explored what emotions are and why we have them.

Today, we take the next step: learning how to recognize emotions and deal with them in a healthy way.

Because it’s not just about feeling —

it’s about understanding and managing what you feel.

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📌 What this session is about

• Recognizing emotions in others through facial expressions and body language.

• Understanding how mirror neurons allow you to feel what others feel — sometimes without realizing it.

• Recognizing emotions in yourself through physical signals like tension, pressure, or restlessness.

• Learning what emotional regulation means: not suppressing emotions, but understanding and balancing them.

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🔎 Real-life examples

• You notice someone looking away or tensing up, and you sense something is wrong.

• You suddenly feel overwhelmed after being around someone who is upset.

• You feel intense anger or sadness and react immediately, without understanding what’s happening inside you.

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📚 Why it matters

If emotions are not recognized or regulated, they can become overwhelming.

You may feel stuck, confused, or driven to escape those feelings.

This can lead to destructive behaviours — not because you want to,

but because the emotion feels too intense to handle.

Understanding your emotions helps you stay in control instead of being controlled.

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✨ How MBT works with this

In MBT, you learn to:

• Pause and notice what you feel

• Put your emotions into words

• Stay within a balanced zone — not too overwhelmed, not too disconnected

You also learn that support from others plays an important role in regulating emotions.

You don’t have to do it alone.

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💡 Practice from Session 4

This week, focus on a moment where you experienced strong emotions.

• What did you feel?

• How did you respond?

• What helped you to deal with it — even a little?

Write it down and reflect on what worked for you.

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🌟 Core message

Emotions don’t need to be pushed away —

they need to be understood.

When you learn to recognize and regulate them,

you create space for clarity, control,

and healthier connections with others.

Nu ook maken voor Session 5