Self-Regulation

Have you ever spoken or acted impulsively when you were triggered, then regretted it later? Or even just had big huge feelings that took a lot of energy to control?

Who hasn't?

Responding well while having intense feelings is hard, but it’s a skill worth learning. It is also a key ingredient of resilience. Choosing your responses carefully for best possible outcomes is one way to define self-regulation - a huge resilience booster.

If all you know how to do is react, you’ll automatically do whatever your emotions prompt you to do, without choosing or even seeing other things you could have done instead. Good self-regulation reveals more options. You still feel your feelings, but you have a little distance, which empowers you to pause, stop your feelings from escalating, and consciously choose a productive response.

I'll admit it: even at the supposedly mature age of 62, I am a relative beginner at self-regulation. In the past, when triggered, I have often blurted out whatever I was thinking, from a place of weakness. I felt helpless to steer things in better directions. Now I am learning - finally! - how to calm myself, take a breath, and decide maturely what to say or do.

One thing that has helped me learn better self-regulation is regular practice of mindful movement. Would you like to do it with me? For the next couple of months as we continue with our yearlong resilience program, my movement classes - both online and in person - will help us develop self-regulation skills. We'll use grounding, breathing, sensing, hand positions and more to learn new ways of calming ourselves - while also getting an awesome whole-body workout.

Hard to imagine a more efficient use of time.

Start now. Jump right in. No prerequisites!  Just a willingness to move and be moved.