Tuning into our environment: a series on regulation

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The third factor impacting our capacity to regulate is our environment. I find this one really interesting because we can’t always change our environment & we can’t control what happens throughout the day!

And nor should we… unfamiliar environments (e.g. a new school, new job etc) & unpredictability (e.g. changes to routine, cancellations etc) can reduce our capacity to regulate (stay calm) but this is not to say they should be avoided! It’s healthy to place ourselves in new spaces with new people & learn how to tolerate the discomfort. It’s also important for us to be equipped to cope with unpredictable changes without falling apart.

I think there are two helpful ways to look at this one: 
  1. If there are new & unfamiliar places/people occurring throughout our week (inevitable!) then how can we increase familiarity & predictability in other areas of our (or our child’s) day/week to provide some space for grounding ourselves and/or recovering/resting.
  2. Becoming more aware of what environmental factors are particularly triggering for us (may be different for each person) & working on some strategies for how you will manage them when they occur (e.g. plan to go for a walk before the job interview, arrange to call a friend at lunchtime on your first day at a new job, practice deep breathing, take your child to a favourite playground before attending their new Dr appointment etc).
Questions for you:
  • Are you aware of what environmental factors cause you to feel anxious & uncomfortable? 
  • Do you avoid them? 
  • What strategies might help you prepare to manage them next time they happen?

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