Self-Regulation: The Brilliance of the Zones of Regulation
TL;DR:
- The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum and communication tool that helps humans identify what they are feeling and what they need to feel better.
- It isn’t perfect, but I highly recommend it. (And no, this is not a sponsored post.)
The Zones of Regulation is a popular tool to help kids communicate and regulate. (If you haven’t read my posts about flipped lids or self-regulation, now is a good time.) Some people love it, some…don’t. I am a fan, but over the years, I have learned its limitations and found ways to correct misunderstandings before they happen. Here is what I love about Zones. We will talk about common misunderstandings next time.
What are the Zones of Regulation?
The Zones of Regulation, often referred to simply as Zones, is a social-emotional learning curriculum by Leah Kuypers and published by Think Social Publishing, Inc. While working as an OT, Leah noticed that kids often have a difficult time understanding and communicating what is happening when they are upset, and went to work to find a solution. That solution turned out to be the Zones of Regulation.
The Zones of Regulation is a straightforward way for humans to understand, communicate, and cope with dysregulation. Instead of classifying emotions as good or bad, they are organized into four groups based on the amount of energy in our bodies, called Zones.
The green zone represents being calm and ready to work or learn. The red zone is when our lid is flipped. The yellow zone is in between, when we have extra energy and lose some self-control but not all of it. Finally, the blue zone is for any low-energy emotion.
The Brilliance of The Zones of Regulation
There are several things about The Zones of Regulation that are brilliant.
-It is so simple, AND it is a multitasker!
My two favorite things. I don’t have time for MORE stuff, I only have time for better stuff. Using the Zones of Regulation as a framework allows me to talk about the stress response, stress cycle, window of tolerance, body signals, self-care, and positive time-outs.
-It is easy to meet your needs!
At a Zones training, Leah said she recommends layering other curricula on top of Zones to meet the needs of our humans. A light bulb went off. Sure, this is a curriculum. There are lessons, objectives, and assessments. More importantly, it is a communication tool, and, like any other communication, I can adjust it to meet my learners’ needs. I can make it as shallow or deep as the situation dictates. Sometimes, I use Zones to talk about emotional vocabulary. Sometimes, to talk about the body signals that tell us what zone we are in. I always use it to guide the conversation about coping strategies.
-There is no such thing as a bad zone. They all have a job to do.
I have noticed that when I label emotions as good or bad, I sometimes feel ashamed to admit they exist and get stuck. When I reframe it and see my feelings as having a job to do, I can understand what my mind is trying to communicate and work through it. More on this in future posts.
-It becomes self-managing.
With enough instruction and practice, I have seen kids who were previously knocking over furniture and running out of the classroom learn to identify what they need and tell their grown-up.
-It teaches you how to identify the best coping strategy for the situation.
-Pictures!
It might seem baby-ish at first, but the pictures are an essential piece of the puzzle. It is part of what makes Zones so adaptable. The graphics support individuals experiencing low literacy, non-verbal communication, and limited language. The images even support readers. Over time, the brain processes the graphic, and it becomes a cue for self-regulation.
If you want to go down this rabbit hole, start by looking for Zones of Regulation. It is authored by Leah Kuypers and published by Think Social Publishing, Inc.
##emotionalintelligence ##raisinghumans ##SEL ##selfregulation ##teachershelpingteachers #consiousparenting
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