Emotional SelfRegulation
Key Attributes of a Well Regulated Emotional Domain • • •
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Emotional Literacy Modulation of Strong Emotions Emotional Resiliency or ability to recover from adversity/disappointment and challenging emotional states Courage to learn new things, take risks Desire to achieve goals Healthy and realistic sense of self
Emotional Regulation Developmental Model by Shanker and Greenspan Child's emotions are formed over time through repeated interactive experiences through dual coding: sensations get bound up with emotional associations
Same sound is pleasant for one child and piercing for another Hug feels tight and secure or slack and unsettling; father's voice sounds deep and comforting or harsh and alarming
Emotional Regulation Developmental Model by Shanker and Greenspan Secure development in ER is dependent upon the emotional availability of caregivers Regression happens for all under stress Co-regulation and self-regulation strategies are needed The child must be able to experience the emotion in context of a calm co-regulating teacher to support child's brain to switch from survival to learning brain while processing the emotion. - explain emotion will end - down-regulate with reassuring tone and language - model words to express the emotion and give appropriate options for discharging energy
Denying Emotions and the Arousal Cycle (Shanker and Greenspan ) •
Today we still believe that the more effort a child puts into controlling their emotions the better
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Suppression of emotions is seen as best e.g. drugs, coercion
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External punitive approaches often create negative emotions like, fear, anger, frustration and shame which consume energy and ultimately impair concentration and attention
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Arousal cycle (physical, emotional, cognitive and then social and back again-best to break it at the precognitive level(physiological level)
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Biological=low energy, high tension; emotional=fear, anxiety and anger; cognitive=worry/fixation/distortion and social is social anxiety and interpersonal problems
Emotional Literacy •
Recognize, understand, express and label range of emotions in self and others including facial expression (read intentions of others)
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Assists with modulation - if name, then can tame
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Being supported to experience, express, and understand emotions results in restoration and lasting emotional growth
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Up-regulate positive emotions and down-regulate negative emotions
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Recognize impact of one's emotions and influence on behavior
Explicit Teaching Tools •
Basic human emotions are innate, universal and automatic and are also seen in non-human primate
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Most common emotions are: anger, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise and disgust
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Emotion charts, Zones of Regulation and How Does Your Engine Run promote both emotion and physiological literacy
p.35
“… all people start off with the same “hard-wired” facial expressions for seven
basic emotions (Ekman, 2003).”
“You have shown that every single person on this planet has the same basic emotions, regardless of their cultural background or education.” “How did you prove this scientifically and why is it a big discovery?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h19PzyqOxxo
Explicit Teaching •
Bibliotherapy: Moody Cow, Peaceful Piggy, How are you Peeling, Pete the Cat, ABC Look at Me
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Morning check-ins by using both emotional and body words
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Multiple “check ins” — recess, and transitions & challenges — e.g., start of day, after project work, before a test. It sends the students a message that their emotions matter — and, by giving them an chance to express themselves, helps them navigate their emotions
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Modeling Affect regulation and teaching nonverbal communication, tone of voice, use of cross arms, facial expression etc.
Increasing Self-Awareness Increase awareness of different bodily and emotional states that coexist in the body
Not merely a meta-cognitive exercise of learning emotional words even reading a story doesn't mean it is internalized
Encourage writing about emotions - stories, reflective journal
Conversations, books or movies emphasize that others have similar and different experiences with emotions and that conflicting emotions can exist
Emotional Modulation and Flexibility Any intense emotions (anger, fear, frustration, sadness, anxiety, excitement) make if difficult to establish and maintain optimal regulation •
Learn to modulate/manage emotions skillfully:Use a regulation scale – feeling thermometer, zones of regulation, 5 point scale.
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Develop a dimmer switch so we can go beyond black and white thinking and recognize graduation of emotions (anger, annoyance and frustration)
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Match our affect to situations (Big Problem, Little Problem)
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Getting "unstuck" from a specific emotion (Superflex and Rock Brain)
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Evaluate, and modify the intensity of one's response; and when and how to express emotions
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Teach that moods will pass as well as reset tools
1-10 Feeling Thermometer 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Daily check in. Mood Meter
Connection between thoughts and feeling
https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=m2zRA5zCA6M
Explicitly Teach •
Emotions affect how and what children learn, attention, memory; Reason can control emotions or give in to it; teenage brain=emotional brain
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Harness emotions and gives choices (don't have to obey feeling--but ask what is this emotion telling us)
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NUTS (Lupien)
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SNAP (CBT)-Stop, Now and Plan
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MINDUP program of brain and mindfulness lessons
Emotional Resiliency Reduce the amount of energy going into emotional regulation; not be overwhelmed Tools: •
Learn to monitor-know triggers and tools for reset
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Ride the wave of emotions (moods pass)
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Up-regulate positive and down-regulate negative emotions
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Self-sooth
Emotional Resiliency •
Whatever we feed - pain or love grows--moods pass
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Teach positive self-talk (Pete the Cat)
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Instructions for a bad day--smile when you are having a good dayhttps://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cnFAGgKB-wA
Websites http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/education http://www.morningsidecenter.org/ http://jillkuzma.wordpress.com/ yukonwellness.ca edutopia.org 6seconds.org
