Emotions play a crucial role in our overall mental health, acting as both messengers and influencers of our psychological well-being. Positive emotions like joy, gratitude, and love can enhance mental resilience, foster strong social connections, and improve our ability to cope with stress. But on the flip side, the more challenging emotions such as sadness, anger, jealousy or anxiety, if persistent and unaddressed, can contribute to mental health issues and illness. 

But how do we learn to manage our emotions more effectively? For many we can feel at the mercy of our feelings, unaware that by drawing from simple techniques from within, we can help mitigate their intensity and reduce overwhelm. 

This is where Dr Emma Hepburn comes in. An award winning clinical psychologist, lecturer, author and illustrator, Dr Emma has written and illustrated the books ‘A Toolkit For Happiness’, ‘A Toolkit For Modern Life’ and most recently ‘A Toolkit for Your Emotions - 45 Ways To Feel Better’. Dr Emma Hepburn is also one of the most well-known psychologists on Instagram as @thepsychologymum and has won numerous awards for her contribution to mental health awareness.

Dr Emma talks to The Happier Life Project host Gabby about how emotions are made and where they come from. She shares how emotional habits are created and what it means to be on the emotional roller coaster of life, with all of its loop the loops. Dr Emma also explains how our past history and experiences influence our brain and body to create an emotional response; and ways we can objectively step back to review if how we are feeling is more of an echo from the past, rather than an appropriate response to the present. 

'A Toolkit for Your Emotions' helps readers to navigate and understand their emotions effectively. Taking a deep dive into how we feel, Dr Emma explains all the tools we need to intercept and redirect challenging emotions by offering practical strategies, exercises, and insights. Each topic is illustrated with Dr Emma's well-loved illustrations to make them accessible, meaningful and memorable. To purchase 'A Toolkit For Your Emotions' on amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/aXJOfnI

To download the free My Possible Self App: https://mypossibleself.app.link/podcast