Dateable AF Show Notes:

A lot of people think emotional regulation means staying calm. But calm isn’t the same as connected. In this episode, we unpack one of the most misunderstood concepts in modern relationship culture: emotional regulation — and how easily it gets confused with emotional suppression. Because you can look “together,” be low-drama, and even feel composed… while being completely disconnected from what you actually feel. And that disconnection shows up everywhere — in dating, in partnerships, in friendships, and in how safe it feels to be emotionally close to anyone.

🧠 What We Cover

We talk about: What emotional regulation actually is (and what it isn’t) Why suppression is often praised as maturity

How being “fine” can be a trauma response

The difference between being calm and being emotionally present

How suppression quietly erodes intimacy

What real regulation looks like in everyday relationships

You’ll learn why: You can be angry and regulated.

You can cry and regulated.

And you can be calm and still be completely shut down.

Or as we put it: “Regulation means your feelings are online — they’re just not driving the car.”

💬 Why This Matters

Many of us learned that being easygoing, not needing much, and not rocking the boat was the goal. Suppression kept us safe. It kept us accepted. It helped us survive. But in adult relationships, that same strategy can turn into:

Avoiding conflict instead of resolving it

Over-accommodating instead of expressing needs

Feeling “fine” while quietly disconnecting And the cost is intimacy.

Because emotional regulation isn’t about feeling less — it’s about being able to feel and stay present.

🪞 A Question to Sit With Where in your life might you be calm… but not actually connected?

Thanks for listening to the Dateable AF Podcast, where we help you find your happy ending. And remember: be bold, be kind, and for the love of self-respect, don’t text your ex. Stay Dateable AF. 🔥

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