Psychology Textbook Chapter 9 Emotion Regulation of Others and Self (EROS) During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Chapter Emotion Regulation of Others and Self ( EROS ) During the Pandemic Andrew Lane Faculty of Education , Health and , University of , UK Please cite as Lane , 2021 ) Emotion regulation of others and self ( EROS ) during the pandemic . In Jones ( Essentials of exercise and sport psychology An open access textbook ( Society for Transparency , Openness , and Replication in Kinesiology . Attribution 40 International This content is open access and part of Essentials of Exercise and Sport Psychology An Open Access Textbook . All other content can be accessed at Chapter Overview By March 15 2021 , the pandemic caused over million deaths worldwide . To restrict spreading of the virus , movement was restricted . At the outbreak ofthe pandemic , there were concerns for poor mental health in both the immediate and future . Encouraging people to use strategies to regulate the emotions of others and self is therefore worthwhile . In this chapter , I look at how the pandemic affected emotion and the use of emotion regulation strategies guided by the Gross and Thompson ( 2007 ) model . Strategies people typically used were often not available or easy to do in lockdown , and so careful planning was necessary . A reflective case study that describes an emotion regulation strategy via a physical challenge is described . The case study outlines how setting an exciting challenge and how sharing progress can influence the emotions of others and self . In summary , active planning of emotion regulation strategies that you do is worth considering for managing emotions and mood , which help maintain positive mental health . For correspondence

Chapter Emotion Regulation During Introduction , Emotions , and Emotion Regulation In 2020 , was a new virus , with no known cure or antidote . On March , the UK government implemented a national to try to prevent the virus spreading to reduce the risks of mass deaths . The measures implemented included banning travel , closing pubs , restaurants and theatres . The effects on employment were equally dramatic . People were asked to work from home unless they were an essential worker , where examples ofjobs included those working in hospitals , the police , armed forces , shop keepers , supermarkets , travel and firefighters . People with underlying health conditions , over the age of 75 years , and pregnant women were also told to minimise social contact for 12 weeks . At the outbreak of the pandemic , poor mental health , negative mood , and intense negative emotions were expected consequences ( et , 2020 et , 2020 ) Evidence shows such fears materialised . In a study of people in China , Wang et al . 2020 ) reported an increase in anxiety and depression . Based on such findings and theoretical predictions , advising people to actively use emotion regulation strategies to help manage mental health is sensible advice . At the outset of the pandemic , a special issue by the journal Frontiers called for articles for a special issue . Learning Exercise One Look at the articles in the special issue on , select one article and read it . I authored one article on mood states in boxers ( Roberts Lane , 2021 ) evaluate the strategies used by boxers with reference to Gross and Thompson ( 2007 ) model . In this chapter , I encourage people to identify and evaluate the use of strategies . People naturally ( 1997 Carver , 1990 ) If people have strategies that they believe will work and can effectively this alleviates a great amount of pressure on mental health services . This approach sits well with advice from key members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( 2020 ) whose model for behavioural change was based around the capability , motivation , and opportunity to keep others and oneself safe during the pandemic ( West et , 2020 ) Learning Exercise Two Think back to the start of the Pandemic , and what were your initial responses to hearing the restrictions ?

The aim of this exercise is to engage in reflection on your experiences at the start of . Try to identify thoughts and feelings in relation to imposed restrictions . The following headings might be useful . What are your reflections ?

What occurred Thoughts and feelings What happened Reflection on thoughts 201 Lane At the outbreak , in my role of being a sport psychologist practitioner , I had athletes experiencing intense emotional responses such as anxiety and uncertainty . As 2020 started , athletes had hopes and goals focused on athletic achievement and in the space of a few weeks , these goals were put on hold . Athletes needed to be patient and see out the pandemic . It should not be surprising that athletes did not have the experience to deal with such rapid and unexpected changes ( see Carruthers , 2020 ) I recently discussed the importance of emotion and emotion regulation in the work of practitioners ( Lane , 2020 ) where awareness of one own emotions and how they might transmit to others should be considered . Evidence suggests how current emotional state influences relative positivity or negativity to future hopes , where a positive emotional state associates with feeling hopeful ( et , 2020 ) In this chapter , I examine in the crisis through a case study . I focus on emotion regulation of others and self . I will outline key theoretical issues before going through the case study to illustrate how theory applies to practice . Emotions and Emotion Regulation Emotions are subjective feelings experienced in response to events either in an individual environment , for example , a boxer climbing into a boxing ring or a surgeon going into theatre , or in an individual mind , for example , anticipation of an upcoming event . For example , if either a boxer or a surgeon thought about the contest or surgery coming up and was concerned about the outcome , then they are likely to experience an increase in the intensity of their emotions . Emotions encompass three types of response ( Lazarus , 2000 ) Emotions include physiological responses such as increased respiration and heart rate . Although the intensity of a physiological response is a key part of emotion , it is very difficult to identify an emotion from physiological measures alone , and especially in tasks where movement is involved . A perception of physiological states was a positive feature of research into competitive anxiety ( Marten et , 1990 ) although this approach did not extend to other emotions or areas of application other than sport . Evidence suggests that failed attempts to regulate intense emotions associated with a disturbed physiological response ( et , 2012 Lane , Wilson , et , 2011 ) possibly due to challenges in control ( et , 2007 ) When regulating emotions , of physiological changes is important and at times , focusing directly on the physiological responses is necessary ( Thompson Gross , 2007 ) At the outset of the pandemic , a sense of fear of being exposed to situations where you could catch coupled with no reliable and proven strategies to cope ( these were soon learned ) meant that focussing on managing the physiological aspects of emotion was a useful skill . Emotions include cognitive changes such as attention , perception , and information processing priorities . Emotions influence what information comes to mind and how we might feel at a later point in time ( et , 2007 ) The ongoing changes in cognition as people attempt to regulate their current emotional state is relevant . For example , during , if you are anxious about catching the virus , then the thought of visiting the shops could intensify these anxious feelings . Further , the thought of transmitting the virus to loved ones could contribute to anxiety further . It could also lead to shame and sorrow if you thought you passed the virus onto another person via an act of carelessness . The crisis raised the intensity of anxiety , and this can prompt a search of the environment to identify the cause of the issue , something that is difficult as you can not see a virus . In this instance , anxiety is likely to prompt adherence to behavioural advice such washing hands and social distancing ( West et , 2020 ) As I later point out , if you are running , people attempt to get out of your way and look anxious seeing people become anxious is not something runners are used to , and so this changes the nature of the run . If you are running to improve mood , then seeing your actions negatively impact other emotion has the reverse effect . 202

Chapter Emotion Regulation During ) The third aspect of emotion is behavioural such as increasing the intensity of behaviour to actively pursue a goal . Behavioural change could be directed to raise or to conserve energy . For example , anxiety and anger can provide a flight or fight response whereas depression promotes a response that conserves energy . Emotional energy can help people attain their goals with numerous studies showing positive relationships between emotions and performance . This has been evidenced in goal achievement in sport ( et , 2000 Han et , 2020 ) and goal achievement in work settings ( et , 2020 ) Recent work has developed models on how emotion regulation could operate in achievements settings ( Harley et , 2019 ) Identifying emotional profiles associated with success and failure has been a challenging line of investigation with a great deal of evidence pointing towards an ideographic model as the best explanation ( Han et , 2020 , 2010 Lane , What this means is that for people to be able to effectively regulate their emotions , they need to know what emotions help them perform well . Evidence shows that many people accept experiencing unpleasant emotions before trying to achieve important goals , and learn to interpret these feelings as ready to perform . In other words , they use the energy developed by unpleasant emotions to raise arousal , and via increased arousal , effort increases ( Lane , Devonport , Stanley , 2011 ) If emotional profiles can not be linked to success , then it begs the question as to how an individual knows whether they should try to increase or decrease the intensity of any given emotion . In keeping with the idiographic approach , knowledge of how emotion influences your actions is an important aspect of awareness ( Lane , Lane , et , 2012 ) From those , it is possible to have a personal database of how to interpret emotional states and decide whether to try to amplify , dampen , or maintain the intensity of a given emotion . Clearly , this process works well when there is a good knowledge of the emotions required for successful performance . In , where the situation was new and unclear , the bank of experiences on which to base was shallow as the outbreak began and developed via learning . Learning Exercise Three Reflect on your emotional experiences . Select one , and then close your eyes and think back to when you were experiencing it . What did you hear ?

What did you feel ?

Immerse yourself in the experience . Now try to identify ) What feelings did you experience ?

What thoughts occurred ?

What physiological changes occurred ?

It is important to consider all physiological , cognitive , and behavioural responses together . Via these three types of response , emotions influence the goals people establish , their intentions and choices to attain them , and their behaviour ( et , 2007 ) et al . 2007 ) argued that emotions have powerful effects and we monitor emotions via processes . We identify how we feel in comparison to how we want to feel . How we want to feel can depend on the task we are doing . When we anticipate or experience emotions we dislike , we seek strategies to regulate the intensity of these feelings . A key aspect is that we regulate to an internal standard of how we wish to feel , although when we ask people how they wish to feel we do not always get precise answers ( Janelle , 2020 ) Of available evidence we have , it should not be surprising that unpleasant emotions feature highly ( 2010 Lane , and when people experience emotions such as shame , sadness , and misery they could seek actions to down regulate the intensity of these emotions . 203

Lane Emotion regulation is the automatic or deliberate use of strategies to initiate , maintain , modify or display emotions ( Gross Thompson , 2007 Gross , 2011 ) Ongoing of emotions can not only help regulate emotions to improve feelings , but also help people achieve goals . For example , the emotions of anger and fear , which are unpleasant and intense could drive strategies to regulate these emotions to deal with the causes of them ( the fight or flight response , see Ellsworth , 2009 ) However , emotion regulation attempts might be dysfunctional . For example , an athlete might be angry about having to run alone or not be able to train at the gym , and the expression of this emotion might be an angry response focused toward people they live with , creating an unhappy mood , meaning that the negative emotion lasts longer than it should . Devonport and Lane ( 2013 ) showed how couples can regulate their own and each other emotions . In terms of how people regulate their emotions , studies indicate that people organically use conscious and strategies to regulate their emotions with over 400 strategies identified ( Augustine , 2008 , 2009 et , 1994 ) For example , talking to people , watching television , going out for meals , playing sport , listening to music , are all tasks that people identify with as part of living , and when prompted to reflect on how they aid emotional being cite them as effective strategies ( et , 1994 ) In terms of a theoretical model , Gross and Thompson ( 2007 ) developed a model which specifies that people regulate their emotions by selecting the situation they are placed in ( situation selection ) how they might change the situation ( situation modification ) what they choose to concentrate or focus on ( attentional deployment ) how they modify their thoughts and as such select information to focus on that changes their emotion ( cognitive change ) or how they try to modify the physiological responses or try to squash the effects of the emotions ( response modulation ) Four of these families of regulation ( situation selection , situation modification , attentional deployment , and cognitive change ) can be used before the emotion has become fully blown with response modulation being used once the emotion is intense and warrants regulation . A key feature of emotion regulation is that many strategies are not exclusively emotion regulation strategies , but when asked how people regulate their emotions , people recognise the link between the actions and their feelings . On recognising these links , an individual learns to identify that using the strategy can bring about changes in emotions , thereby creating a conscious link . And so , of course , the restrictions placed during meant many of these strategies could not be used . Learning Exercise Four How do you regulate your emotions ?

Think back to when you have experience intense emotions , what did you do ?

How long did the emotion last ?

Write down as many actions or thoughts as possible . There are no right or wrong answers . It will help identify what you do to alter your emotions . After doing this , consider what a sport psychologist might do if presented with a person presenting these emotions and describing how they regulate them . And so , imagine yourself as the sport psychologist where you are also the client . Emotion Regulation Strategies During I will illustrate how the ( Gross Thompson , 1997 ) of the model could be applied during . Situation selection refers to the process whereby you actively choose to place yourself in one situation rather than another . As previous research has illustrated , there are a range of strategies people 204

Chapter Emotion Regulation During use . People can situations to alter emotions , for example the decision to meet friends in a cafe , to go to the theatre , to go for a run , to watch a funny film , or to go on holiday . It is likely that people do not explicitly see these as emotion regulation strategies , but when asked to think about what they do , they report doing such activities ( et , 1994 ) When we asked athletes the same questions , they responded in a similar way ( Stevens Lane , 2001 Terry et , 2006 ) During lockdown , some of these strategies became more difficult to do . For people living in close conditions , where people could only go out of their house for one hour for exercise or shopping , then being in close proximity to others would be very restrictive . In such conditions , it is likely people will experience increased anxiety and frustration . For people trying to exercise alone , the restricted choice of possible activities available creates concerns . For people used to running , there was a possibility of running outside for an hour . At the start of the lockdown , runners raised concern that they would be seen running outside twice in one day and were conscious of avoiding possible arguments with neighbours who might observe them . For people who regularly used gyms , which were closed , the ability to train required equipment and the speed the virus spread was so fast that sports equipment was sold out , and if not sold out , delivery of sports materials was restricted . A challenge was to find ways to exercise although there were a plethora of celebrities running exercise sessions via social media . As the lockdown in the UK began , we wrote an article that encouraged people to exercise and use green environments to help manage mood ( et , 2020 ) We encouraged people to use the strategy savouring when getting into nature was not easy . There is a growing evidence base on the therapeutic effects of being in nature , and the notion that exercising in nature has additive effects ( et , 2019 ) Savouring is done by using images from prior experiences in nature to remind yourself of previous positive experiences and feelings . The restrictions on movement and social interaction meant that people became consciously aware of not being able to change location very easily and often who they were with . Conscious awareness of what emotion regulation strategies is argued to be a key reason why they are effective ( et , 2019 Lane , Knowing what you wish to use , but not being able to use them has negative effects . Therefore , to effectively use situation selection with a framework is to be aware of the options available , to know what factors are readily available to change and what are not . The second approach is situation modification which refers to attempts to modify external aspects of the environment . For example , if you recognise your mood needs regulating , that is you wish to cheer yourself up , or stop yourself feeling anxious , then deciding to modify your situation is a good strategy . Many strategies had to be modified due to the requirements for keeping safe during . If people ran or cycled to help manage emotion and did so alone or with a member of their own house , then they could continue . People who ran with training groups felt the impact of the new restrictions as people could not meet to go running . Evidence shows the benefits of exercising in groups via social benefits where people support each other and performance benefits . Performing with others can build confidence via reflections on performance creating the mindset if they can do it , so can I ( 1997 ) The impact of meant that people needed to what they could and could not do ( Roberts Lane , 2021 ) and this additional act of thinking and planning could be tiring ( et , 2007 ) Repeated acts of are proposed to be tiring , and although there is some dispute on this theory ( did serve to disrupt automated habits . The third strategy is attention deployment which refers to the process whereby an individual directs their attention to influence their emotions , and with restrictions this strategy could be used , for example , planning your training . For example , making a conscious decision on what to focus on . With , where running outside brought unusual interactions from others due to the new need for distancing ( see Carruthers 2020 , who details her experiences ) and so runners who are used to 205

Lane focusing internally on running are made more aware of others , and so change their normal routines . Runners needed to plan sessions so that they had little potential contact with others . Attention deployment is often used when it is difficult to change or modify the situation . Attentional deployment could be done in the form of distraction , for example , deciding to listen to music when exercising and focusing on the music . When running during the early stages of , as Carruthers ( 2020 ) points out , there was a sense that people were looking and thinking why is this person running when we should be in lockdown ?

and if such a thought went through your mind , it could create unpleasant emotion . And so , focusing on listening to music can be helpful . Attentional deployment can perpetuate unpleasant emotions via rumination , and so repeatedly focusing on potentially negative events in the future serves to maintain the intensity of the emotion . Learning Exercise Five Go through the five families of emotion regulation and give an example from personal experience of how you have used them . Situation selection Situation modification Attention deployment Cognitive change Response modulation Now repeat this task as if you are working with an athlete . Go through the five families and consider how you might use them . In the crisis , where normality shifted , active planning was desirable and therefore planning your training could enable situation selection and modification strategies being achieved by appropriate planning . The fourth approach is cognitive change which involves changing the meaning of an event or situation , and with , this can be useful as priorities shifted via aggressive messaging to stay lives meant a of many actions previously seen as normal . Spending some time to these and so avoiding frustrations at not being able to do them can prevent unpleasant emotions arising . Examples of cognitive change include distancing or taking a person perspective when evaluating an emotional event and thereby being able to gain an reflection . Humour is an example of cognitive change , and by having a goal to make yourself and others laugh it is possible that this has wider benefits . The fifth approach is response modulation . The other four emotion regulation strategies are anticipatory , whereas response modulation is used once the emotion has been experienced fully . Response modulation refers to strategies designed to regulate the physiological and cognitive aspects of emotion as directly as possible . Regulating the physiological arousal associated with emotion makes intuitive sense in sport given that optimal arousal levels will vary substantially between sports , from the low arousal associated with sports such as archery to high arousal in sports such as . Regulating strategies include progressive muscular relaxation , imagery , listening to music and exercise ( see et , 2011 Lane , In summary , the crisis intensified the emotions in many people and simultaneously also influenced the availability of strategies to regulate emotions . This combined effect can explain an increase in poor mental health and why people should be encouraged to plan to use emotion regulation 206

Chapter Emotion Regulation During strategies . Consistent with theoretical proposals , prevention of unpleasant emotions is better than cure ( Gross Thompson , 2007 ) To illustrate how this can happen , I will use a case study of an emotion regulation strategy used in . Case study From the outset it should be emphasized that this a reflective piece of work on emotion regulation during the unique situation of a pandemic . The goal of writing this particular case study was to illustrate the key issues . Reflection is a key part of a researcher and practitioner work and so should be treated accordingly ( Devonport Lane , 2013 ) In terms of the options I considered , I developed a case study of work with athletes which articulates my effort to maintain their motivation , of which gave me good insight into how the stresses and strains of a pandemic affect individuals . I collected daily mood data on this athlete which details the intensity and severity of emotions experienced . Within this case study , I could talk about strategies that were used to maintain training and emotional health . Running concurrently , I supported several athletes , and the work produced , that emotions became unpleasant , normal regulation strategies were harder or suspended , social challenges were more difficult . and colleagues ( 2020 ) detail some of this work . The summary of this work was that I was seeing trends in emotional response that were similar to what was observed in other case studies that focused on emotions experienced in stressful challenges ( Devonport et , 2011 Lane Godfrey , 2010 Lloyd , Pedlar , Lane , 2007 ) Our book on case studies ( Lane , Godfrey , et , 2014 ) provides many examples for practitioners , hence I was keen to do something different . Our article that details experiences going through ( Devonport Lane , 2013 ) which the author ( Devonport ) was also a participant , and my article on experiencing from boxing ( Lane , 2006 ) and my recent chapter on emotions practitioner feel , were all influential in my decision . I decided to use myself as the target of the case study . I further thought , as the chapter will reveal , this could be suitable as from the outset I set out on a programme of activities that were designed to maintain positive emotions in myself and others . Photo by Andrea from 207

Lane Case Study on Emotion Regulation Keeping Your Chin Up By Doing Chin Ups Prior to lockdown , my life would involve going to work , which is a ( campus ) or ( Campus ) drive depending on which campus I was attending . Each week I ran a , amassing 451 since October 2011 , which shows how few weeks were missed . At , we have a group of friends whom we would meet and have coffee with after the run . I had started indoor rowing , partly as a response to a knee injury , and had competed in indoor competition and would go to a leisure centre most evenings . In those evenings , we would have coffee and meet people . My wife , who has run a similar number of , would come to the gym with me most evenings and the act of going to do exercise in varying formats was a major aspect of our social life . I detailed in a chapter how exercise can be used to regulate emotions with the idea that you could run yourself happy ( Lane , Lockdown , of course , changed this approach to emotion regulation with all of these stopping overnight as gyms closed , suspended , and all events I had entered being cancelled . Competitive events such as have more than an exercise function they create a time and place to raise the intensity of emotions and make use of anxiety and unpleasant emotions ( Lane , et , 2012 Stanley , Lane , et , 2012 Stanley , et , 2012 ) I had been watching how the spread ofthe virus was unfolding in France and Spain , where leisure facilities closed ahead of the UK , and so bought a rowing machine for use at home ( the is seen as the gold standard for indoor rowing and used by Olympians and by a large online indoor rowing community ) clearing a room out , meaning I disposed of two sofas . They were put to the side of the house initially and later permanently removed , thereby to illustrate that we had sufficient space and were not having to overcome cramped living conditions . The huge change to my living conditions was easier because my wife shared these goals had the situation been different , then this course of action would have an adverse effect . If my actions upset my wife , then the social aspect of emotion regulation means that her emotions influence me , and therefore , further thought is needed . As we went into lockdown , the emotion regulation I used would not be possible . I felt I needed a challenge and running in preparation for the return of races seemed too distal , and importantly , I had little control over when this would occur . Being a sport psychologist , and advocate of promoting mental health through physical activity , active across social media and a regular media commentator , I felt the message of encouraging people alone to be active would be shallow and lack meaning that is , I should practice what I preach ! Further , I felt it needed to be in the current situational constraints . This is an important aspect of any attempt in that the person doing it needs to see the task as suitably worthwhile to do . The strategy was to be a behavioural goal . When setting a goal , it needs to captivate interest to be effective a key reason why goal setting is effective is that they direct attention and motivation . I saw this as an opportunity to promote mental health through doing physical activity and simultaneously doing something to manage my own mental health . In considering the options , I wanted a challenge that was largely under my control . Perceived control and a strong sense of autonomy is argued to be an important aspect of sustaining behavioural change ( West et , 2020 ) At the time , the message from the UK government was that people could exercise for outside . During my initial runs , I noticed many people displaying signs of anxiety through fear of social contact . Looking at what happened in Italy and Spain around the same time , there was a possibility that all forms of going outside would be restricted . I felt the exercise should use a confined space . 208

Chapter Emotion Regulation During Why One More Chin Up for Each Day of Lockdown ?

My decision was to do one chin up for each day of lockdown , whereby on day one , I did one chin up , two chin ups on day two and so on until was over . I used the phrase keeping your chin up by doing chin ups across social media , recorded a film of me doing the chin ups , doing impersonations , and trying to create funny stories , and posted them to a YouTube channel ( Lane , 2020 ) The plan was to perform one more chin up for each day of lockdown , and so I did a single chin up on day one going through to doing 125 chin ups on the final day . I decided had eased sufficiently with the key marker being the of gyms . The rationale for selecting the closure and opening of gyms was that I used exercise and going to the gym as a social event as one of my main emotion regulation strategies . Before lockdown , I was doing chin ups occasionally on a morning run in the park , where there is a park gym , so I was confident I could do at least one chin up , and confident I could get through the first few days . I hoped to make progress during that time that would enable attainment of more chin ups but the goal was specific and only one more chin up . Using theory ( 1997 ) I should have confidence to attain the target . It should be noted that the chin up facility in the park was also closed early on . I had a chin up bar on the side of my house . From the start I felt confident I could do one chin up . It was only one extra chin up and so at the point of failure , the question of whether I could do one more is consistent with a great deal of advice I have given to endurance athletes ( Lane , With endurance athletes , the advice has been to break tasks down into short units , specific goals and ones that are attainable ( Lane , The goal is achieved by holding a narrow and focus of attention . I wished to test and showcase this mindset , which is something I see not only as good advice for others , but also for myself . In applying science to practice , an important aspect is the evidence that it works . My view was that I was modelling this , something I felt was useful from the role of sport psychologist , but also by doing it myself I would be regulating my own emotions . In terms of emotion regulation , it is a case of situation selection ( Gross Thompson , 2007 ) and I decided that doing the chin ups would serve many goals a ) it was exercise , which I used daily to manage my mood , and physically challenging as I wondered how many I could do and how it would unfold ) it was outside , and so I could engage with nature and ) it was challenging , and so I sought to advertise to as many as possible , thereby increasing anxiety to some degree , which helped me commit to doing them . Doing the chin ups presented many challenges , but it also revealed many positive aspects that were not considered at the start of the process . These include using humour and the positive effects of planning humour on your mood and on others , managing sensations of fatigue , finding time , and maintaining motivation . Humour as an Emotion Regulation Strategy On March , 2020 , which was also my birthday , I did one chin up , filmed it on my phone and posted the film to Twitter and Facebook . The film received several thousand views daily I became more adventurous in how I made the films . Using the Apple suite , I would film the chin ups , adding music , narrative , pictures , and on occasions created a storyline . Watching chin ups is not something that easily makes for the best programme , and so I tried to make them funny . I did this in a variety of ways , doing impersonations of famous people ( Michael Caine , Frank Spencer , Bruce ) and having a storyline . For example , on the day ofthe ( I had entered to do a swim ) I did the chin up , doing chin ups in a swimming costume , swim hat and goggles ( see Lane , 2020 ) 209

Lane The act to make humorous material is in itself an emotion regulation strategy ( Samson Gross , 2012 ) Evidence shows humour is effective and is used by people in extreme conditions where situational opportunities to alter emotions are minimal . Planning activities and scenes of a video is a creative process and you are trying to envisage material that is funny . If this is positive , and you think it could be funny , then that thought is a positive one , and you think you are making something worthwhile . The image of people smiling when watching your video is a positive one what you are doing is modifying the situation of others , and thereby improving emotions if possible . This produces a large sense of satisfaction , which is mood enhancing . However , acts such as pretending to be going to a swimming gala and walking out in your garden in your trunks evoke feelings of being , and with that a fear that people are not laughing with you but at you , which brings unpleasant emotions . To manage such potentially unpleasant emotions , I engaged in the emotion regulation strategy of cognitive change ( Gross Thompson , 1997 ) to change the meaning , I reminded myself that the goal was for it to be entertaining . It was important for me to recognise the multiple roles people have and that , despite this coming out under the banner of me as a sport psychologist , acting out exercise in an enjoyable way and creating as entertaining a backdrop as I could did not conflict with that image . Overcoming the Challenge in Perspective and Focusing on the Present At the start of the chin up process , I had not thought what day 30 would feel like or look like . After day seven , I knew that the chin ups would not be done in one continuous set . I started researching how to do chin ups and learning any technique that might help by looking at experts . It showed that world chin up records were carried out in a series of sets of repetitions and even the best and fittest did not do more than chin ups in one set , typically going for multiple sets of a lower number . In the early days , my confidence to do a large number grew when I found I could repeat sets of seven repetitions . Performance accomplishments are a strong source of ( 1997 ) and a strong sense of is a good strategy for the management of unpleasant emotions . In Gross and Thompson ( 2007 ) model , it is a cognitive change and beliefs to do the task , and therefore uncertainty over failure was low . The knowledge that even the very best chin up performers do not do sets over 10 repetitions that frequently , and rarely exercise to failure , provided a strategy I was confident to follow . Alongside this , I viewed many YouTube videos on how to do chin ups that focused on the skill aspect rather than only about physical fitness . This enabled breaking down chin ups into discrete movements and practicing them . For example , I practised hanging for 30 seconds , and used this practice to provide entertainment also ( I sang Always Look on the Bright Side from the Monty Python film The Life of Brian whilst hanging over the chin up bar one time ) By having it as a part of a comedy sequence , where I sang a song and had to act happy , I also regulated physical discomfort by changing my attention . Brick et , 2018 ) found that smiling during a marathon race is a good way to manage fatigue . The comedy aspect is important . If the challenge was truly demanding to the extent that few people could do it , then that in itself is worth reporting . I have supported people doing such challenges such as riding across America , doing a channel swim ( Lane , 2008 ) running the Marathon Des Sable ( Lane , 2006 ) and the North Pole Marathon ( Lane Devonport , 2008 ) A large number of chin ups is something most people would not want to do but , possibly similar to a challenge such as running a marathon , think they could do with training . I thought the same . I did not want to try to present a message that the challenge was particularly impressive therefore , the goal was to complete the required number of chin ups , try to make the video funny via the storyline , impersonations , and by wearing fancy dress . The details and their anticipated impacts on my emotions and the emotions of others are important via feedback on social media and requests for impersonations , the chin up videos evolved . 210

Chapter Emotion Regulation During Finding Time As the number of chin ups grew , it clearly took longer to do the chin ups and make the film . In addition to this , there is a growing sense of fatigue . Once I had to do more than 80 chin ups , the number of sets and repetitions needed to be thought through carefully . In addition to this , it became an expectation that the chin up film would be published on social media in the morning . Attempting to overcome a difficult challenge is motivating it directs attention to what is needed and as such encourages actions and resources . To develop strong beliefs that you can do this is about following key principles as outlined by ( 1997 ) To develop confidence in being able to do the task , I watched videos on YouTube to develop technique . What this enabled was to how to approach doing the chin ups , insomuch that I focused on the skills needed as opposed to seeing it as a fitness task . This has relevance to regulating perceptions of fatigue when doing chin ups by focusing on skill , I sought ways to make the task easier to do , which helped with a narrative on what to focus on . Being in Control In the crisis , a key point was to perceive I was in control of when and where I could exercise . I had a chin up bar and the instruction of not leaving your house meant I did focus on having to go out . Whilst in normal times , going out is to be encouraged , during the early stages of lockdown , when people were wary , I feel people were watching me when running . Whether this was merely my being , it changed the quality ofthe experience . Added to that , there were instances where people were clearly frightened , and so being able to exercise in my home was suitable . These features are relevant to the uptake of any emotion regulation strategy . Setting challenges where contextual factors increase the size of the challenge should be an important consideration . Sedentary people who wish to exercise regularly often set a goal to exercise daily , but exactly how to do this is not clear . Having the opportunity to do the exercise makes the choice to do it is easier and having an attainable goal as to how much exercise to do helps build motivation . With the chin up exercise , the first 10 days were relatively straightforward , and so the aspect of forming the habit of doing the exercise was successful . A key issue is developing the behaviour so that the habit is formed from the performance easy and making the progress small , one more chin per day up in this case , helped develop the mindset that it was possible . A key part of this was also to not think too far ahead . If I thought about how hard day 60 was at day 10 , this could be overwhelming . In a similar way , it is how marathon or endurance athletes are coached , that is to keep the focus on the here and now because seeing the overall size of the task can be overwhelming . Learning Exercise Six Open Google Scholar and use the key search terms COVID James Gross emotion . This will give you the latest articles that use Gross work . Compare how findings relate to one of these articles . Conclusion The abilities to identify current emotional states , identify how you wish to feel , possess sufficient skills , and have confidence in your ability to use these skills should be a part ofthe toolkit people have . was an assault on emotions , and , via restrictions imposed , impacted the emotion regulation strategies that could be used . The present chapter has used a case study to illustrate how emotion regulation strategies can be used and how the principles of finding an engaging task , 211

Lane which you can make progress on , can develop confidence in being able to do it . Then , via performance accomplishments , belief in abilities increases , and the habit is formed . I suggest that such a process could be applied to learning new emotion regulation strategies and that people should be encouraged to see learning emotion regulation strategies as a key goal to maintain their mental health . Further Reading Gross , Thompson , A . 2007 ) Emotion regulation . Press . Lane , 2015 ) Sport and exercise psychology Topics in applied psychology ( edition ) Taylor Francis . Lane , Godfrey , 2014 ) Case studies in sport science and medicine . I acknowledge the support of Helen Lane who enjoyed watching the first version of each of 125 Keeping Your Chin Up videos . References Augustine , A . 2008 ) On the relative effectiveness of affect regulation strategies A . Cognition and Emotion , 23 , A . 1997 ) The exercise of control . Freeman . Zhang , 2007 ) How emotion shapes behavior Feedback , anticipation , and reflection , rather than direct causation . Personality and Social Psychology Review , 11 , Janelle , 2020 ) Emotion regulation and motor performance An integrated review and proposal of the Temporal Influence Model of Emotion Regulation ( TIMER ) International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology , 13 , Lane , Wilson , 2012 ) A possible role for emotion and emotion regulation in physiological responses to false performance feedback in 10 mile laboratory cycling . Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback , 37 ( Terry , Lane , 2000 ) The Profile of Mood States and athletic Performance Two . Journal of Applied Sport Psychology , 12 , Brick , 2018 ) The effects of facial expression and relaxation cues on movement economy , physiological , and perceptual responses during running . Psychology of Sport and Exercise , 34 , Carver , 2004 ) of action and affect . In , Handbook of Research , theory and applications ( Press . Carruthers , 2020 ) Running with the chaos . 2019 ) Does goal pursuit require conscious awareness ?

In Ryan ( Ed . The Oxford handbook ofhuman motivation ( Oxford University Press . Devonport , Lane , 2013 ) Emotions and emotion regulation in a female couple undergoing In Vitro Fertilization treatment . Psychology , 212 Chapter Emotion Regulation During Devonport , Lane , 2013 ) The utility of reflective practice during the provision of sport psychology support . In . Reflective practice in the sport and exercise sciences Contemporary issues . Devonport , Lane , Lloyd , 2011 ) Keeping your cool A case study of a female explorer solo North Pole expedition . Journal ofHuman Performance in Extreme Environment , 22 , Plant , Tice , 2007 ) relies on glucose as a limited energy source Willpower is more than a of Personality and Social Psychology , 92 , 2020 ) Teams and Work Units A Systematic Review of the Worker Thesis . International Journal of Environment Research and Public Health 2020 , 17 , Gross , 2011 ) The future so bright , I got ta wear shades . Emotion Review , Gross , Barrett , 2011 ) Emotion generation and emotion regulation One or two depends on your point of view . Emotion Review , Gross , Thompson , A . 2007 ) Emotion regulation Conceptual foundations . In . Gross ( Ed . Handbook of emotion regulation ( The Press . Han , Terry , 2020 ) Mood profiling in Singapore validation and potential applications of mood profile clusters . Frontiers in Psychology , 11 , 2010 ) Coping with anxiety in sport . In ( Ed . Coping in sport Theory , methods , and related constructs ( Nova Science . Harley , Taxer , Gross , 2019 ) Emotion regulation in achievement situations An integrated model . Educational Psychologist , 54 , 2019 ) The past , present , and future of ego depletion . Social Psychology , 50 , Terry , Lane , Bishop , Priest , 2011 ) The BASES Expert Statement on the use of music in exercise . The Sport and Exercise Scientist , 28 , 2009 ) The psychology of emotion regulation An integrative review . Cognition Emotion , 23 , Darcy , 2019 ) The effects of green exercise on physical and mental A systematic review . of Environmental Research and Public Health , 16 ( Lane , 2006 ) Reflections of professional boxing consultancy . Athletic Insight , Lane , 2006 ) psychology preparing for the challenge of the Sahara . Peak Performance . Lane , I want to perform better so how should I feel ?

Polish Psychological Bulletin , 44 ( Lane , Can I run myself happy ?

In , a battery to my head ?

and other questions about emotion ) Peter . 213 Lane Lane , 2020 ) Emotion and emotion regulation from the perspective of the practitioner . In Ruiz , Feelings in sport Theory , research , and practical implications for performance and ( Lane , 2020 , April 23 ) Keeping your chin up by doing chin up Day 33 33 chin ups ! Swimming issue ! video . YouTube . Lane , Devonport , Stanley , 2011 ) Instrumental emotion regulation in sport Relationships between beliefs about emotion and emotion regulation strategies used by athletes . Scandinavian Journal of Medicine Science in Sports , 21 , Lane , Jones , Uphill , Devonport , 2011 ) The BASES expert statement on emotion regulation in sport . British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences . Lane , Davis , Devonport , 2011 ) Emotion regulation during running A test of interventions using music . Journal Science and Medicine , 10 , Lane , Devonport , 2008 ) Cold comfort mind and matter training for the North Pole marathon . Peak Performance , 264 ) Lane , Godfrey , 2010 ) Emotional and cognitive changes during and post a near fatal heart attack and after A Case Study . Journal Science and Medicine , Lane , Godfrey , 2014 ) Case studies in sport science and medicine . Lane , Stanley , Davis , A . 2014 ) Emotion regulation and emotional states Effects of situational and individual factors . in Psychology Research , Lane , Terry , 2016 ) Online mood profiling and of affective responses . In , Smith , international handbook psychology ( Lane , 2008 ) The loneliness of the swimmer . Peak Performance , 256 ) Lane , Wilson , Shave , 2011 ) Physiological correlates of regulation during prolonged cycling performance . Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback , 36 , Li , Wang , Xue , Zhao , Zhu , 2020 ) The Impact of epidemic declaration on psychological consequences A study on active users . International Journal of Environment Research in Public Health , 2032 . Lloyd , Pedlar , Lane , 2007 ) Mood state changes during an expedition to the south pole a case study of a female explorer . In Lane ( Ed . Mood and human performance Conceptual , measurement , and applied issues ( Nova Science . Brick , Butler , Lane , Morris , Murphy , Murphy , Rogan , 2020 ) Beyond the pandemic Tips for players and athletes . 19 Miles , Webb , 2013 ) estimates predict the effectiveness of emotion regulation strategies in the real world Reply to Augustine and . Psychological Bulletin , 139 ( 214

Chapter Emotion Regulation During , Ellsworth , 2009 ) Evolution , emotions , and emotional disorders . American Psychologist , 64 , Wang , 2020 ) Taking control amidst the chaos Emotion regulation during the pandemic . Journal of Vocational Behavior , 119 , 103440 , Roberts , Lane , 2021 ) Mood responses and regulation strategies used during among boxers and coaches . Frontiers in Psychology . Samson , A , Gross , 2012 ) Humour as emotion regulation The differential consequences of negative versus positive humour . Cognition and Emotion , 26 , 2020 ) The four horsemen of fear An integrated model of understanding fear experiences during the pandemic . Clinical Neuropsychiatry , 17 ( 2020 ) How imagining personal future scenarios influences affect Systematic review and . Clinical Psychology Review , 75 , Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( 2020 , June 26 ) Scientific evidence supporting the government response to ( Stanley , Lane , Devonport , 2012 ) I run to feel better so why I am thinking so negatively . of Psychology and Behavioral Science , Stanley , Lane , Devonport , 2012 ) Emotion regulation strategies used by runners prior to training and competition . and Exercise Psychology , 10 , Stevens , Lane , 2001 ) strategies used by athletes . Athletic Insight , Newman , 1994 ) of mood Strategies for changing a bad mood , raising energy , and reducing tension . Journal and Social Psychology , 67 , Terry , Lane , 2006 ) Use and perceived effectiveness of mood regulation strategies among athletes . Australian Journal , 12 , 1994 ) Ironic processes of mental control . Psychological Review , 101 , von , 2018 ) Emotion transfer , emotion regulation , and processes in interactions and their association with physician A theoretical model . Frontiers in Psychiatry , West , Rubin , 2020 ) Applying principles of behaviour change to reduce transmission . Nature Human Behaviour , 215