Braving the Hot Mess
Check out Braving the Hot Mess on Facebook
  • Blog
  • My Story
  • Documentaries and Videos Worth Your Time
  • Books I Love
  • Vegan Recipes
  • Meditations
  • Affirmations
  • Tracy's Upcoming Events
  • Contact
  • Testimonials

The Nervous System And Emotion Regulation

1/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
According to Paul Gilbert, PhD, we have three types of emotion regulation systems … Threat System, Drive System, and Soothing System. When we are stuck in a painful cycle, it’s often because these three systems are out of balance. Many of us spend the majority of our time stuck in the threat and drive systems and this can lead to distress. For us to perform optimally, these three systems need to be in balance. 

If the threat system is on all the time, our brain activates the flight or fight response and sends cortisol streaming through our body. This is great when we come up against an actual life or death threat but not when we’re navigating a typical day.

The drive system is incentive and resource-focused. It activates us to work towards things that we want or seek to achieve. It is stimulated by dopamine production. We can overstimulate our dopamine through unproductive use such as an addiction to video-gaming or social media where we need more and more and then get stuck in overdrive. 

The most overlooked part of the three circle model is the soothing system. Modulated by oxytocin, often called the “love hormone”, it’s responsible for connection, feeling safe and content.

Give consideration to the size of each of your three circles. Are they in balance or is your soothing system smaller than the threat and drive systems? If your system is out of balance,  one strategy is to practice the drop-in technique. The drop-in technique is a strategy to regulate your emotional experience through three quick steps. To use the Drop In Mindfulness Technique take three centering breaths and ask yourself three core questions:
​
  • What am I actually experiencing right now? (thinking, feeling, sensations)
  • How am I relating to that? (curious and accepting or resisting and judging/caught in it/stuck)
  • Given this, what's a wise and kind way to respond to myself right now? What do I need at this moment? Consider exercising some self-compassion here. What tools do you have in your tool box that help you to self-sooth and regulate your nervous system? Possibly taking a few minutes to practice a breathing meditation would be a wise and kind way to respond to yourself.

Drop in with yourself as many times as you can throughout the day...breathe three centering breaths, ask the three core questions, and follow your advice.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

    Archive 

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015

    Picture

      Please sign up to receive weekly new blog posts. 

    Submit
Proudly powered by Weebly