Patterns of Ongoing Thought Shape Emotion Regulation and Well-Being in Daily Life

Humans have thousands of thoughts daily, often shaped by personal memories, goals, and environmental cues, that are deeply intertwined with emotional functioning. Our study explored if, how, and when common patterns of naturally occurring thought predict differences in emotion regulation (ER) ability across people and settings and, ultimately, well-being. Specifically, we examined how ongoing thought patterns shape ER variability—the ability to dynamically adjust and apply different emotion regulation strategies based on situational demands or personal goals—and negative affect in everyday life. Over seven days, 120 participants completed 3,286 experience sampling surveys to measure their ongoing thoughts, ER variability, and negative affect in daily life (data collected in 2023–2024). Principal components analysis identified common ‘thought patterns’, which we used to predict participants’ real-world ER variability and negative affect. One specific thought pattern—characterized by negative, intrusive, and distractive content—was linked to lower ER variability. This thought pattern also predicted increased negative affect, as captured by higher levels of anxiety, stress, loneliness and reduced social/emotional support, with the impact moderated by momentary ER variability. Social activities, such as texting or engaging in conversations, similarly mitigated the harmful effects of this thought pattern on well-being in daily life. Our findings illuminate how thought patterns influence ER dynamics and negative affect in complex real-world settings. They also underscore the protective power of social interactions, both digital and in-person, and the importance of enhancing flexible ER approaches to reduce the adverse effects of intrusive negative thoughts on mental health.