Self-Regulation

What is Self-Regulation?

Self-regulation is the ability to control ones thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Good self-regulation skills allow us to maintain attention, plan effectively and solve problems. As children grow and their brains develop, they become better able to manage their thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Self-regulation can often be confused with self-control but they are very different. According to Shanker (2016), self-control is the ability to inhibit strong impulses, whereas self-regulation involves reducing the frequency and intensity by managing stress and recovery. The development of self-regulation skills starts from a very early age. As these skills are practised they form pathways in the brain which increase a child's ability to manage stress and times of dysregulation more effectively.

Why is the Ability to Self-Regulate Important?

These skills help us to lead a balanced life and have positive relationships with others. Self-regulation affects health and wellbeing in both the short and long term. Good self-regulation skills can also be a predictor of how well children perform in school and further education. By teaching children and young people to be better self-regulators, we can improve their chances of being healthier, having better relationships with peers and teachers, and help them cope with stressful situations.

How does Self-Regulation Develop?

The foundations of self-regulation skills begin to develop in early childhood. The way in which caregivers support a baby to feel safe and secure (e.g. being held closely, smiling at one another, using soothing vocal tones) begin to establish neural networks that allow us to achieve the calmly focused state described earlier. Also underpinning early self-regulation skills is how the adults around respond when an infant is in distress and indicating they have a need to be met (e.g. a baby may cry when it is wet and needs changed, or a toddler may scream and throw themselves to the floor when they are told no). Routines and consistent ways of responding help children to create strong pathways in their brain with ways in which they can be soothed and supported to achieve a balanced state again.

Practitioners in education would explicitly teach children and young people how to perform mathematical calculations, read by blending sounds, or actively demonstrate the rules of a new game in P.E. We would suggest teaching self-regulation skills in the same way; through practice, modelling and direct instruction. This can be done through a variety of methods detailed below.

Image showing 'The Three R's' of Regulation according to Dr Bruce Perry. Image from Beacon House.

Things you can do

Scaling

Scaling resources provide a visual representation of the difference between emotional states (such as happy, worried, angry) and behavioural states (such as calm, agitated, out of control). These tools support children and young people to make sense of abstract ideas. By drawing a child's attention to where they are on their scale, you not only support their understanding of different emotions, but you can then support them to try strategies to help them move back down the scale.

Sensory Breaks

Some children may benefit from additional sensory input to support them to feel regulated. This booklet from Falkirk Council 'Making Sense of Sensory Behaviour' is excellent and can help staff start to understand and respond to sensory needs. We can also incorporate regular sensory breaks and activities into the school day to help pupils remain calm, focussed and ready to learn. Calming sensory activities can soothe and support anxious or overwhelmed pupils. Proprioceptive and vestibular activities can help ground children before tricky times in the school day (e.g., bunny hops or trampoline, resistive bands exercises, monkey bars).

Movement Breaks

All children benefit from regular opportunities for movement breaks to help support their focus and attention. This can be anything from a classroom job, whole class activities such as Go Noodle or Cosmic Kids yoga, or some quick star jumps or chair push ups! Movement breaks can help children feel more alert when they are lethargic or losing focus.

Activities to Soothe

When their nervous systems have become unbalanced and we may see signs of this in their behaviour. But we can support pupils by teaching them strategies to soothe and calm the nervous system. Children learn to self-regulate through a trusted adult acting as a co-regulator. We need to teach learners methods of regulation and talk to them about how these make us feel (e.g., Breathing exercises - some great ideas here). CALM Boxes can be used to support regulation for some learners - click here for a video which explains this further.

Mindfulness

Attention and the ability to regulate negative emotions have been proven to be increased by using mindfulness. These approaches teach young people to focus on the present by bringing focus to the body, in order to help gain control.

Emotion Coaching

Emotion coaching supports children's understanding of their emotions and helps them to self-regulate. Please visit our Topic page by clicking here.

Staff Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is a necessary skill that can ensure our wellbeing. From an emotional point of view, self-regulation is the ability for oneself to think and respond flexibly to our emotions and feelings. It is important for school staff to be able to cheer themselves up when they are down and settle themselves when they are upset or under pressure. From a behavioural perspective, self-regulation is the ability for us to act and respond in accordance with our own professional and personal values. For more information related to managing your mental wellbeing, please visit our Staff Wellbeing Topic page by clicking here.

Want to learn more?

To find out more about the development of Executive Function skills, please visit our Executive Functions Topic page by clicking here. For more information about the Emotion Coaching Approach which can be used to support the development of emotional regulation, please visit our Emotion Coaching Topic page by clicking here.

Want to explore this more?

To explore any of the information on this page with an Educational Psychologist, please request a Systemic EIC. To find out how to request a Systemic EIC please click here.

Have concerns about a learner?

If you have concerns about an individual learner in relation to self-regulation, you can explore this with an Educational Psychologist by requesting an Individual EIC. To find out how to request an Individual EIC please click here.

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