Motivation and emotion/Book/2025/Guided meditation and emotion regulation

Guided meditation and emotion regulation:
How can guided meditation be used to regulate emotion?

[ Multimedia presentation
(3 min)]

Overview

Picture this...

Imagine you’re sitting on a warm, sandy beach, the sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore. You close your eyes and take in a deep breath, speaking "in" to your mind silently as you do so. The salty breeze fills your lungs, and you feel a wave of calm wash over you. Breathing out while speaking "out" to your mind, you feel the stress and anxieties of the day melting away. This is guided meditation - a practice that relaxes and empowers you to handle your emotions with greater ease and clarity.

Meditation is an ancient practice with origins so old that they are difficult to trace. It wasn't until the 21st century that meditation truly went global, spreading rapidly through apps, online and in-person courses, and retreat centers (Nash, 2019). While guided meditation is also not a new concept, the internet has made various forms of meditation more accessible and adaptable to individual needs and life circumstances (see Figure 1).

This chapter delves into the practice of guided meditation and its potential effects on our emotions. It investigates what sets guided meditation apart from traditional meditation techniques, and examines whether guided meditation can influence our brain’s emotional responses.

In today's fast-paced world, individuals face increasing life stressors such as work pressures, personal responsibilities, and societal expectations. These stressors can lead to heightened emotional responses and difficulty in managing emotions effectively. Guided meditation offers a structured approach (Varnum, 2021) to practice mindfulness, helping people to navigate their emotions. By following a guided session, you can learn to recognise, understand, and manage your feelings better, which boosts your emotional resilience and overall well-being.

Through current research, this chapter aims to clarify misconceptions surrounding the ancient practice of meditation, and provide insights into the unique benefits of guided meditation for managing and regulating emotions. Can guided meditation be used as a tool for emotional regulation? In terms of effectiveness, how does guided meditation compare to regular meditation? Through exploring these questions, this chapter aims to highlight the distinct advantages of guided meditation in enhancing emotional well-being.

Focus questions

What is guided meditation?
How does guided meditation affect the brain's emotional response?
How can people use guided meditation as a tool to regulate their emotions?

Case study: Sofia

Sofia is a first year university student juggling multiple responsibilities. Between her full-time studies and a part-time job at a local cake shop, she has been coming home exhausted, especially with the shop preparing for a big wedding. On top of this, Sofia babysits her energetic 6-year-old brother, Isaac, every week while their parents attend dance lessons. As the semester draws to a close, Sofia's major deadlines are fast approaching, and the pressure is mounting. She has noticed her usually calm demeanor giving way to a short temper, snapping at Isaac when he asks to play, and arguing with her parents over trivial matters. She has been coping with the stress by going out and excessively drinking alcohol with her friends, falling behind on her assessments and work duties.

Guided meditation vs regular meditation

To understand guided meditation, we first need to know what meditation is. Coming from the same Greek and Latin roots as the word medicine, meditation, derived from the Latin word “meditari” means “to engage in contemplation or reflection” (Hussain & Bhushan, 2010). Meditation is when an individual or group uses a technique to focus their mind and become more aware. This helps them let go of automatic, wandering thoughts and reach a clear, calm, and stable state of mind without judging the process. Moral (2017) explains that guided meditation is when people meditate following an expert's instructions. These instructions can be given through talking, written guides, audio recordings, or videos (p. 180).

Table 1. Guided Meditation vs Regular Meditation.

	Pros	Cons
Guided Meditation	TBA
Regular Meditation	TBA

What is emotion regulation?

Emotional regulation refers to the process by which individuals influence their emotions; how they experience and express them. Insert information about why regulating emotions is important. James-Lange Theory of emotion (Yarwood, n.d.).

Key aspects of emotional regulation

There are ....

Biological aspects

James-Lange Theory of emotion (Yarwood, n.d.)

etcetc

Cognitive aspects

Appraisal, complex appraisal...

Signs and examples of emotional dysregulation

...

...

Emotion regulation strategies

Inset information here

Difference between a mood and an emotion

Reeves (2018) outlines three key differences to distinguish between moods and emotions:

Different Causes

Emotions arise from significant life events and how we interpret their impact on our well-being. For example, feeling happy after receiving good news.

Moods come from less clear and often unknown reasons. They can be influenced by factors like the weather, sleep, or even diet. Unlike emotions, moods are more subtle and occupy the background of our consciousness.

Different effects on actions

Emotions strongly influence our behaviour and prompt us to take specific actions. For instance, fear might make us run away from danger.

Moods mainly affect our thoughts and what we focus on. For example, being in a good mood might make us think more positively about our day.

Different duration

Emotions are typically short-lived, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes. They are responses to immediate events.

Moods last much longer, from several hours to a few days. They are more enduring and less tied to specific events.

In summary, moods are more enduring and have a more subtle influence on our thoughts, while emotions are short-lived and less tied to specific events.

Test yourself!

Regulating emotions with guided meditation

Insert information here

Quizzes

Using one or two review questions per major section is usually better than a long quiz at the end
Quiz conceptual understanding, rather than trivia
Don't make quizzes too hard
Different types of quiz questions are possible; see Quiz

Example simple quiz questions. Choose your answers and click "Submit":

Learning features

Links

When key words are introduced, use interwiki links to:
- Wikipedia (e.g., Sigmund Freud wrote about (e.g., dreams) or
- Related book chapters (e.g., writer's block)

Conclusion

The Conclusion is arguably the most important section
Suggested word count: 150 to 330 words
It should be possible for someone to only read the Overview and the Conclusion and still get a pretty good idea of the problem and what is known based on psychological science

Suggestions for this section:

What is the answer to the sub-title question based on psychological theory and research?
What are the answers to the focus questions?
What are the practical, take-home messages? (Even for the topic development, have a go at the likely take-home message)

References

Alhawatmeh, H., Alshammari, S., & Rababaj, J. A. (2022). Effects of mindfulness meditation on trait mindfulness, perceived stress, emotion regulation, and quality of life in hemodialysis patients: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 9(2), 139-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2022.03.004

Hussain, D., & Bhushan, B. (2010). Psychology of meditation and health: Present status and future directions. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 10(3), 439-451. https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/560/56017068007.pdf

Moral, A. (2017). Guided meditation: A regimen for mental health. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 8(2), 180-182.

Nash, J. (2019, 27 May). The history of meditation: Its origins & timeline. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/history-of-meditation/

Reeve, J. (2018). Understanding Motivation and Emotion. Wiley Global Education.

Tang, Y., Tang, R., & Posner, M. I. (2016). Mindfulness meditation improves emotion regulation and reduces drug abuse. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 163(1), S13-S18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.11.041

Varnum, H. (2021, 10 July). How to create a guided meditation. The Guided Meditation Framework. https://guidedmeditationframework.com/blog/how-to-create-a-guided-meditation

Yarwood, M. (n.d.). James-Lange theory. Pressbooks. https://psu.pb.unizin.org/psych425/chapter/james-lange-theory/

External links

The Value Of Emotional Self-Regulation And Interoception (Forbes)
What happens in my body when I meditate? (sciencefocus.com)