HR Newsletters 2020

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS Zones of Regulation: Useful for Adults, Too! - continued

Dr. Krystal Thurman

It’s important to take note of how you feel during the day and how you react to those feelings. Check in with yourself throughout the day. Consider the state of emotion you feel. Apply those emotions to the four zones. Notice into which zone your emotions typically fall. The ultimate goal is to be in the green zone as much as possible. Following are a few tips to help:

Zone

BLUE

GREEN

YELLOW

RED

Goal

Increase alertness/ emotional state Think happy/positive thoughts Talk about your feel- ings with a confi- Incorporate physical activity into your routine Listen to uplifting mu- sic Watch a funny movie Facetime or Zoom with colleagues or friends for a quick chat dant or contact our EAP at MEA Cares

Maintain this state

Decrease emotional state Talk about your feel- ings with a confi- dant or EAP pro- vider at MEA Cares Take slow, deep breaths (inhale through nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale by mouth for 8 seconds) Squeeze a stress ball or rub hands to- gether Go for a walk Go for a bike ride with our new bike share pro- gram Listen to a calming app or music

Decrease emotion- al state Take slow, deep

Actions

Think happy/positive thoughts Remain focused on your daily goals Check on others and help when need- ed Continue to smile Maintain a consistent

breaths (inhale through nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 sec- onds, exhale by mouth for 8 seconds)

Ask whether the reaction/ emotion matches the size of the problem Withhold sending texts or emails during this state or at a minimum, be mindful of your emotion- al state and Think before speaking Take a break and walk away from the issue for a few minutes how it reflects the tone of the message

and healthy diet and exercise rou- tine

While the techniques provided are not exhaustive, they should give you some ideas for getting back to the green zone, or staying there. Times are stressful and mindful practice and concerted efforts to regulate our

emotions will benefit not only us as individuals, but also those around us. Source: Kuypers, L.M. (2011). The Zones of Regulation . www.socialthinking.com

30