Self Regulation – part 2

Self Regulation Techniques

Calming the body is only one part of self regulation, as we reviewed in part 1.  Self regulation is also about enlivening and energizing the body.  Some people respond to stress and trauma with hypo-arousal; a low ‘numb’ state of being.  They need to bring themselves back to calm alertness and functioning.  Here are different techniques that people find useful.  Be curious, tune in, and discover what works for you.

Cold, Heat, Shake, Weight

Cold exposure – Some people’s nervous systems get hot, over-heated, with elevated heart rate, and sweating when they are stressed or anxious. The following are things clients have found helpful:  Sipping cold water, cool wash cloth or ice pack on the face or the back of the neck, sucking on crushed ice or a Popsicle, hand cupping cold water on the face, going outside into cold weather, cold shower or bath. cold packs

Heat exposure – Some people’s nervous systems get chilled, cold fingers or toes, a freezing sensation as if they can’t move, ‘pins and needles’ in the extremities, difficulty getting a deep breath, a sick or nauseous or tight feeling in the gut. Clients have found the following to be helpful: sipping a warm drink, wrapping in a blanket, shawl, or sweater. Soaking the feet in warm water. Running the hands under warm water, taking in some sun on the face. Placing a hot pack on the abdomen.

Shake/Jump – A short but intense burst of exercise can reset the CNS when we have over reacted to something and unintentionally signaled our CNS to react. Jumping rope for a minute, jumping jacks or on a mini trampoline, shaking, or dancing can all be useful in energizing the body and creating a kind of re set. jump rope,  mini trampoline

Weight – Many clients share their surprise of how comforting and grounding a weighted blanket is when they feel anxious. this is the one I have.

Intentional Regulation vs Avoidance

You have to be curious and experiment with temperatures, textures, and activities to find what works for you.  The hardest part of this exercise is that some comforts ‘sound good’ but aren’t going to be good for you.  There is a difference between intentional self regulating and disappearing into coziness, avoiding, and numbing out.

Grounding

You know when you are forking your meal into your mouth but not really tasting it? Or when you are watching a movie but not really focused on following along with the plot? Or sitting but not noticing if you are balanced or postured comfortably?  Wanting to enjoy the moment but not anchored to it?  That is when you need to ground yourself and you can ground yourself anywhere, anytime. Here is the training protocol.

how to ground yourself

1. Pause the movie.
2. Put down the plate.
3. Situate your seating position to a comfortable but upright position.
4. Breath easy, looking around the room.
5. Feel your but in the seat, feel your feet, close your mouth, breath through your nose.
6. Name 2 or 3 things you can see that you are grateful for right now. (your sofa, food, the dusk light, someone you love, your nail polish color, your sweat pants). It doesn’t matter, any small or large thing.
7. Now, tell yourself how the next hour or so is going to go; “I am going to finish my movie, enjoy each bite of my dinner, then turn off the TV and go brush my teeth” (you fill in the blank)
8. You might have to do it a few times in the same sitting.

This is anchoring yourself. A practice of being in the present moment.  Being mindful.  It isn’t suppose to last for hours. It isn’t suppose to feel like Christmas morning or your birthday or rainbows and unicorns.  Just calm contentment. And you can give yourself that.