Self-test on emotion regulation

Self-test on emotion regulation: How good are you already?

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Description:

Free self-test with evaluation: Test your emotional regulation in 5 areas, with neurobiological basics & development tips.

Self-test: How well do I regulate my emotions?

This self-test helps you assess your current emotional regulation skills. It is based on scientifically sound criteria and covers various aspects of emotion management in everyday life.

The test is not a substitute for a professional diagnosis, but it does provide valuable information about your strengths and the areas where you may need support or training.

Instructions

Answer the following 25 questions as honestly as possible. It is not about answering "correctly", but about getting a realistic picture of your current situation.

Rate each statement on a scale of 1 to 5:

• 1 = does not apply at all

• 2 = somewhat untrue

• 3 = partly true, partly not true

• 4 = somewhat true

• 5 = completely true

Note: Write down your score for each question. At the end, add up all the points for the overall evaluation.

The questions

Area 1: Emotional perception and awareness

1. I quickly notice when my emotional mood changes. _____ points

2. I can accurately name the emotion I am feeling (e.g. anger, sadness, fear). _____ points

3. I notice physical signals that show me when an emotion is arising (e.g. tension, changes in breathing). _____ points

4. I usually understand why I am feeling a particular emotion. _____ points

5. I can distinguish between different emotional nuances (e.g. between disappointment and sadness). _____ points

Area 2: Emotional acceptance and self-compassion

6. I accept my emotions, even if they are unpleasant. _____ points

7. I do not judge myself for having certain feelings. _____ points

8. I can be compassionate towards myself when I am emotionally upset. _____ points

9. I consider negative emotions to be everyday human experiences, not weaknesses. _____ points

10. I do not compulsively try to get rid of unpleasant feelings immediately. _____ points

Area 3: Impulse control and conscious action

11. I can pause for a moment before reacting to a strong emotion. _____ points

12. I rarely say or do things in the heat of the moment that I later regret. _____ points

13. I manage to reason even in emotionally charged situations. _____ points

14. I can distinguish between my feelings and my actions. _____ points

15. When I am angry, I can still communicate constructively. _____ points

Area 4: Adaptive regulation strategies

16. I can look at situations from different perspectives to change my emotional response. _____ points

17. I talk to people I trust about my feelings when I need support. _____ points

18. I use physical activities (sport, exercise) to cope with stress. _____ points

19. I practise mindfulness or meditation to stay emotionally balanced. _____ points

20. I can calm myself down when I am upset (e.g. through breathing techniques). _____ points

Section 5: Dysfunctional patterns (reverse questions)

Please note: These questions are scored in reverse. If you tick 1, you receive 5 points; if you tick 5, you receive 1 point.

21. I suppress my emotions and pretend that everything is fine, even though I am not feeling well. _____ points (reverse scoring)

22. I avoid situations or people that might trigger unpleasant feelings in me. _____ points (reversed scoring)

23. I turn to alcohol, food, social media or other distractions to avoid dealing with my feelings. _____ points (reverse scoring)

24. After emotional outbursts, it takes me a long time to calm down again. _____ points (reversed rating)

25. I often feel overwhelmed and helpless by my emotions. _____ points (reversed rating)

Evaluation of your self-test

Now add up all your points. For questions 21-25, please remember to reverse the points:

• If you ticked 1 → counts as 5 points

• If you ticked 2 → counts as 4 points

• If you ticked 3 → counts as 3 points

• If you ticked 4 → counts as 2 points

• If you ticked 5 → counts as 1 point

Your total score: _________ out of a maximum of 125 points

100-125 points: Excellent emotion regulation

You have strong emotional regulation skills. You are aware of your emotions, can identify them in a differentiated way, and mainly use adaptive strategies to manage them. Even in stressful or emotionally challenging situations, you usually manage to keep a cool head and act constructively.

You have found a good balance between emotional openness and self-regulation. Your ability to distinguish between your feelings and your actions protects you from impulsive reactions. Self-compassion and acceptance characterise how you deal with difficult emotions.

Recommendations:

• Use your strengths to support others – your skills can be valuable in relationships and professional contexts.

• Remain mindful that even good regulation skills can reach their limits under extreme stress or traumatic experiences

• Deepen your knowledge through further reading or training on emotion regulation

• Continue to practise your proven strategies regularly (mindfulness, exercise, social support)

75-99 points: Good emotional regulation with potential for development

You have developed a fundamentally good ability to regulate your emotions. In many situations, you can perceive your feelings and deal with them constructively. However, there are areas where you still have potential for further development.

You may find it more difficult to remain emotionally balanced in certain contexts (e.g. with specific triggers, during particularly stressful phases or in certain relationships). Or you may not yet be using the full range of adaptive regulation strategies.

Recommendations:

• Identify your specific challenges: In which situations or with which emotions do you find regulation particularly difficult?

• Expand your repertoire of regulation strategies – try new approaches such as the SYSTEM principle, mindfulness practice or body-based techniques

• Work specifically on the areas in which you scored lower

• Use structured programmes such as an 8-week emotion regulation programme from qualified sources

• Consider coaching or short-term therapeutic support to work on specific patterns

50-74 points: Moderate emotion regulation – support recommended

Your emotion regulation skills are partially developed, and in many situations, you probably feel overwhelmed by your emotions or react in ways you later regret. This may affect your relationships, your professional performance or your general well-being.

Use a mixture of adaptive and maladaptive strategies. In calm moments, you may be able to deal with emotions constructively, but under stress or when experiencing intense feelings, you fall back into dysfunctional patterns. You may also have difficulty perceiving or naming your feelings at all.

Recommendations:

• Take your difficulties seriously – they are neither a character flaw nor unchangeable.

• Seek professional support: a psychotherapist or coach can help you understand the roots of your regulation difficulties and develop new strategies

• Start with small, concrete exercises: begin with daily mindfulness practice (5–10 minutes) or a simple breathing technique such as cyclic sighing

• Work on your emotional awareness: keep an emotion diary to identify patterns

• Learn the SYSTEM principle as a practical tool for acute situations

• Build social support – talk to people you trust about your feelings

• Gradually reduce maladaptive strategies (e.g. emotional eating, excessive alcohol consumption, avoidance)

Important: If your difficulties with emotion regulation significantly affect your life or you suffer from symptoms such as anxiety, depression or chronic stress, professional therapeutic help is essential.

25-49 points: Significant difficulties – therapeutic help strongly recommended

You are currently experiencing significant difficulties with regulating your emotions. You probably often feel overwhelmed by your feelings, react impulsively or destructively, or suppress your emotions so strongly that you feel burnt out inside. These difficulties are very likely affecting your quality of life, your relationships, and possibly your mental and physical health.

Your score indicates that you predominantly use maladaptive strategies or have minimal access to your emotions. There may be trauma, unresolved attachment issues or other underlying causes that require professional treatment.

Urgent recommendations:

• Seek professional therapeutic help as soon as possible – this is not a weakness, but an essential step towards improving your quality of life.

• Choose a form of therapy that has been proven to be effective for emotional regulation disorders (e.g. dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), trauma-focused therapy).

• Talk openly with your therapist about your difficulties – this is the only way to develop an individual treatment plan

• Be patient with yourself: learning to regulate your emotions when you have never been taught the basics takes time.

• Build a stable support network – do not isolate yourself.

• Stabilise your basic needs: get enough sleep, eat regular meals, exercise

• Reduce substance use (alcohol, drugs) – these exacerbate regulatory difficulties in the long term

In acute crises: If you are having thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please contact:

• Telephone counselling: 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222 (free of charge, 24/7)

• Emergency doctor: 112

• Nearest psychiatric outpatient clinic or emergency room

In-depth area analysis

In addition to the overall evaluation, you can view your scores in the individual areas to identify specific strengths and areas for development: