Normalizing is a cognitive reappraisal technique. It’s essentially a way to tell yourself that it’s normal to feel this way. Because you’ve clarified your experience, you can reduce uncertainty, which in turn gives you a better sense of control. Normalize the event. See also Decide which cognitive reappraisal technique to use
Once you’ve oriented yourself, you must decide which cognitive reappraisal strategy to use. An easy way to remember the key strategies is the mnemonic Never Hit or Punch a Pig. The first letter of each capitalized word maps to a reappraisal strategy. N - Decide if this is Normal. H - Decide if this is Humorous. P - Decide if this is at the right Priority. P - Decide if this is the right Perspective. See also Cognitive reappraisal techniques
In order to orient yourself as quickly as possible, the first thing you need to do is to re-regulate your intense emotions, even if it’s only temporary. To re-regulate, one of the simplest things you can do just about anywhere is diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is a slow, smooth and deep inhalation of air to move the diaphragm (the muscular wall beneath your lungs). This is also called paced breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing or centering breath. ...
The T in the HALT acronym represents tiredness. Tiredness can be physical or emotional. Physical tiredness is most frequently the result of ignoring signs we need a break. You might be pushing yourself too hard by pushing aside your body’s signals to rest. Emotional tiredness is the sense of drowning and being overloaded. For both physical and emotional tiredness, stepping away from the thing making you tired. Do nothing, vegging out or doing activities that help you to recover and recharge. ...
The L in HALT acronym represents loneliness. Loneliness can be real or perceived isolation. Real physical isolation from others is beyond the scope of this post. Perceived isolation can frequently happen when we isolate ourselves. It might feel like others can’t understand us. Maybe it’s the fear of rejection, or maybe you’re not sure if you’ll enjoy connecting with others. Rather than withdrawing from others, reach out and connect with friends and family who want to see you happy and healthy. ...
The A in the HALT acronym represents anger. Anger shouldn’t be suppressed. After all, it’s a healthy emotion. The keys to addressing your anger are: Expressing your anger in a healthy way, so that you’re calm when addressing your anger. Understanding your anger triggers, so that you can address your anger before it starts. While dealing with your anger trigger is probably the more lasting approach, you’ll first need to calm your anger. ...
The H in the HALT acronym represents hunger. This can be physical as in taking care of your nutritional needs. Hunger can also be emotional as in yearning for attention, comfort and companionship. To address your hunger, eat something wholesome, talk to a good friend. You can even do both at the same time by asking your good friend to go out or come over! See also HALT acronym
As you improve your mindfulness of emotions and feelings, you’ll get a sense of what triggers your intense emotions. Next time you feel triggered, use the HALT acronym. The HALT acronym stands for hungry, angry, lonely and tired. The HALT acronym is used for recovery in rehab programs for substance abuse. It’s an easy-to-remember technique that invites you to pause and ask yourself about 4 common stressors that frequently lead to a relapse of the behaviors you’re trying to avoid. ...
Increasing your mindfulness of emotions and feelings puts you on the path to regulating them. If you aren’t recognizing that your emotions are intense, there’s little you can do to regulate them. Mindfulness of emotions is a skill and takes practice to improve. Below are some examples of intense emotions manifesting in concrete behaviors: Avoiding someone or something Bullying someone Crying Harming yourself Overdoing alcohol or drugs Wanting revenge Wanting to fight someone Wanting to hit someone or something Withdrawing from others Yelling at someone The next time you find yourself engaging in these behaviors, start noticing how you feel… ...
Cognitive reappraisal techniques are a cognitive change strategy. They’re used to regulate emotion and represent ways to reinterpret events through your own lens. This is different from suppressing an emotion which involves keeping a lid on the emotion and hiding the emotion from others. Here’s my checklist to remind myself to do this when intense emotions surface: Observe your intense emotions. HALT acronym. H in HALT acronym represents hunger. A in HALT acronym represents anger. L in HALT acronym represents loneliness. T in HALT acronym represents tiredness. Orient yourself by re-regulating. Decide which reappraisal strategy to use. Decide if this is normal. Decide if this is humorous. Decide if this is at the right priority. Decide if this is the right perspective. Act on your decision. Normalize the event. Find humor in the event. Reprioritize the event. Change your perspective of the event. External links OODA loop - Wikipedia See also Mindfulness of emotions and feelings Reinterpreting ideas through your own lens