Emotional Regulation Skills Inventory

Emotional regulation is the ability to understand, manage, and respond to your emotions in healthy ways. Strong emotional regulation skills can improve your relationships, decision-making, and overall well-being. The Emotional Regulation Skills Inventory (ERSI) is a 40-item self-assessment designed to help you reflect on how you handle your emotions in everyday life.

Instructions:
For each statement, select the number that best describes how often it applies to you:

1 – Almost Never
2 – Sometimes
3 – About Half the Time
4 – Most of the Time
5 – Almost Always

ERSI Items

1. I notice my emotions as soon as they arise.

2. I find it hard to concentrate when I’m upset.

3. I accept my feelings, even when they are negative.

4. I act impulsively when I feel strong emotions.

5. I can clearly identify what I’m feeling.

6. When I’m upset, it’s difficult to get things done.

7. I look for different ways to think about a situation to feel better.

8. I keep my emotions hidden from others.

9. I change my thoughts to improve my mood.

10. My emotions often feel overwhelming.

11. I lose control of my actions when I’m emotional.

12. I can calm myself down after getting upset.

13. I understand why I feel a certain way.

14. I criticize myself for having negative emotions.

15. I have trouble focusing when I’m emotional.

16. I can stay on track with my goals even when I’m upset.

17. I avoid situations that might make me emotional.

18. I express my feelings in a healthy way.

19. I get irritated with others when I’m upset.

20. I know how to make myself feel better after something bad happens.

21. I feel confused about my emotions.

22. I do things without thinking when I’m upset.

23. I accept my emotional reactions, even if they’re unpleasant.

24. I try to hide my feelings from others.

25. I can explain my feelings to someone else.

26. I find it hard to make decisions when I’m emotional.

27. I use positive self-talk to handle my emotions.

28. I maintain my relationships even when I’m upset.

29. I feel ashamed of my emotions.

30. I forget what I’m doing when I’m upset.

31. I can manage my emotions during stressful times.

32. I ignore my feelings.

33. I reflect on my emotions to learn from them.

34. My emotions control my actions.

35. I stay calm in emotionally charged situations.

36. I struggle to find ways to cope with negative feelings.

37. I notice when my emotions affect my behavior.

38. I feel comfortable talking about my emotions.

39. I have trouble accepting emotions I don’t like.

40. I can shift my mood by changing my thoughts.

Scoring Key

• For items that describe difficulty with emotional regulation (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 29, 30, 32, 34, 36, 39), reverse your score:

  • 1 becomes 5, 2 becomes 4, 3 stays 3, 4 becomes 2, 5 becomes 1.

• For all other items, use your chosen score as is.

• Add up your scores for all 40 items.

Interpretation

• 160–200: Excellent emotional regulation skills

• 120–159: Good emotional regulation skills

• 80–119: Some difficulty with emotional regulation

• 40–79: Significant difficulty with emotional regulation

This inventory is for personal reflection and is not a clinical diagnosis. For more insight, consider discussing your results with a mental health professional.