Published : 29 Aug 2026, 07:17 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:36 AM
Emotionally healthy people can adjust their emotional responses to suit their surroundings, including showing more or less emotion than they actually feel, according to Psychology Today.
Columbia University Prof George Bonanno and Yale research scientist Charles Burton developed the Flexible Regulation of Emotional Expression Scale to measure this ability.
Examples include showing enthusiasm when receiving an unwanted gift, remaining sombre at the funeral of someone unfamiliar, or suppressing laughter during a solemn religious ceremony.
According to Psychology Today, emotional regulation allows people to step back from immediate reactions, analyse new information and solve problems more effectively.
It can also help improve romantic, professional and other relationships.
Emotionally regulated people tend to be more mentally agile, allowing them to avoid becoming overwhelmed by intense emotions and to consider possible solutions.
Several therapeutic approaches, including Gestalt, cognitive behavioural, and acceptance and commitment therapies, promote this flexibility.
Psychologist Steven Hayes and his colleagues developed the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire to assess mental rigidity. The article says rigid thinking can be associated with rumination, anxiety, depression, fear of failure and success, perfectionism, a need for approval and difficulty learning or remaining open to new experiences.
It may also contribute to self-sabotaging behaviours such as substance abuse, eating disorders and procrastination.
By contrast, emotional agility can help people balance competing demands across work, home and health, while observing thoughts and feelings without becoming trapped in unhelpful patterns.
The article says present-moment awareness and self-compassion can build resilience and help people focus less on grievances, fears and criticisms and more on the things they value.
