Self-regulation
Self-regulation is the ability to monitor and adapt emotions, attention, arousal, and behavior to goals and situational demands.
Definition
Self-regulation includes recognizing the condition, selecting a strategy, assessing the effect and returning to action. It applies not only to emotions, but also to concentration, sleep, impulses, body tension and the way of working. Good self-regulation does not mean full control, but a greater ability to regain balance.
Key ideas
- Condition monitoring
- Selection of strategy
- Back to balance
Practice and life
Create your own regulation map: what affects the body, what affects the thoughts, what affects the environment. Test strategies under mild stress before using them in a crisis.
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to confuse regulation with emotional suppression. It is also a mistake to wait for the strategy to emerge on its own under stress.
> Regulation begins with recognizing a state, before it becomes the choice of a strategy to change that state.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- How do I know if I'm losing regulation?
- Which strategy works for my body?
- What helps me get back to my goal?