Self-regulation – Overview

Self-regulation comprises the skills people use to regulate the level of activation of their nervous systems. It’s less about calming down and relaxing than about finding the right balance between activation and relaxation. Ideally, this self-regulation occurs unconsciously and automatically.

The nervous system reacts subconsciously to the emotional impact of life’s demands. Ideally, this enables us to master difficult situations with great attention and then to recover. We can react appropriately to external or social stress.

The balance of the nervous system includes in particular the autonomic nervous system. Thwhich is not subject to conscious control – functions such as heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), blood pressure, body temperature) but also, in particular, breathing (breathing rate and depth of breathing).

Causes of Lacking Self-Regulation

Trauma and the Impairment of Self-Regulation

Maybe it’s the constant higher stress in everyday life over a longer period of time that makes it impossible for us to get back into balance . In addition, drastic experiences (shocks / trauma) can cause us to lose our balance. In these cases, our nervous system gets out of balance:

• Unprocessed stressful events (shock and developmental trauma) can linger and keep the body in a state of exaggerated activation, alertness and vigilance.
• Long-term strain or stress of a professional or private nature can throw the body and nervous system out of balance through a constant flight or fight mode.

In these cases, our practiced mechanisms are no longer sufficient to regulate ourselves. Then it also becomes apparent that we hadn’t even learned some elementary techniques of self-regulation – perhaps because we didn’t need them or because we didn’t have suitable role models.

In addition, in our modern world, many physical and social mechanisms for regulating stress outside are not sufficiently available. A physical solution to the flight or fight reflex is not available in everyday office life. Often I don’t have a counterpart with whom I can discuss a conflict. Email and messenger or social networks are reduced to the exchange of information – the important personal contact that can provide security in disputes is missing in these media. In addition, there is often no time at all for clarifying discussions or meetings.

Self-regulation is all the more important when stress cannot be resolved through supportive social contact

Examples: How Trauma May Impair Self-Regulation

Symptoms of a Dysregulated Nervous System

Trauma experiences affect people in different ways, and often its effects are not immediately obvious. For many, the symptoms of trauma show up subtly over time as the nervous system remains stuck in survival states—long after the danger has passed.

When the body struggles to return to a state of calm, we experience physical or emotional dysregulation. This means the nervous system is unable to effectively manage stress. Symptoms may impact daily life, relationships, and physical health.

A lack of self-regulation may cause a variety of physical and emotional stress symptoms:

• Sleep Disturbances: Trauma often disrupts the body’s ability to rest. This includes difficulty finding sleep and wake up early and being unrested during the day. Other symptoms may include insomnia, nightmares, nighttime teeth grinding or jaw clenching (bruxism) or waking in a panic can be signs of unresolved tension in the nervous system.
• Pains & Tensions: Trauma may affect our muscular system, in particular chronic contraction in areas like the jaw, temples, or shoulders or back can be observed. This may be behind unexplained aches, muscle tensions, back pain or neck pain. Similarly, headaches or migraines can result from a nervous system stuck in a heightened state of alert.
• Nervous System Dysregulation: Symptoms of a dysregulated autonomic nervous system include: too high or too low blood pressure, sweating, feeling hot or cold, difficulty breathing, chronic fatigue or exhaustion
• Other Somatic Symptoms of Nervous system Dysregulation: Effects can show up as other bodily symptoms. This includes for example symptoms like loss of appetite, gastrointestinal issues, digestive issues (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea) or a constant sense of tension / stress.
• Emotional and psychological symptoms: Symptoms may show up as persistent anxiety, panic attacks, unpredictable mood swings, irritability or aggressiveness. Individuals may experience depression, emotional numbness, or a sense of disconnection from themselves or others. Difficulty concentrating and feeling overwhelmed when performing everyday tasks are also possible symptoms.

The above symptoms may indicate, that the nervous system may be affected by dysregulation. And this dysregulation may be due to psychological trauma – including PTSD, complex PTSD or childhood trauma.

Chronic stress symptoms are indicators that the nervous system needs support. Psychotherapy can support self-regulation and coping with stress symptoms and post-traumatic stress.

Methods to Strengthen Self-Regulation

Objectives of Self-Regulation

Self-regulation is mainly about releasing stress in order to bring the body and nervous system back into balance. This comprises releasing post-traumatic stress as well as releasing current everyday stress. In addition it is about learning techniques with which I can deal well with the stress of everyday life and deal with our triggers for higher stress.

Strengthening the ability to self-regulate brings body and mind back into balance. This can have a positive impact on the symptoms of an overactive nervous system. Therapeutic approaches to strengthening self-regulation are e.g. Somatic Experiencing®  and Bodynamic®.

Often the reduction of symptoms is a reason to seek therapeutic support. Such effects represent an additional benefit, which requires the long-term application of self-regulation techniques. Given that there is no direct relationship, the improvement in symptoms cannot be guaranteed.

Learning self-regulation with therapeutic support is help for self-help to manage the activation of the nervous system and bring mind and body back into balance.

Somatic Experiencing® – Processing of Post-Traumatic Stress

Somatic Experiencing is designed to strengthen the natural self-regulation in the autonomic nervous system and to resolve post-traumatic stress conditions.

The aim is to calm the nervous system with the help of therapeutic support (co-regulation), to discharge stored traumatic states of excitement and to release difficult emotions. As a result, the organism can react more appropriately to stimuli in the here and now. This work with the nervous system enables the body to better regulate the natural rhythm of tension and relaxation.

For this purpose, well-organized aspects of experience and behavior are strengthened. In addition, less organized aspects of the experience will gradually be brought back into balance.

The Somatic Experiencing Methodology:

• The awareness of physical processes is created and practiced.
• Sensing awareness is deepened.
• Emerging emotions and physical states of excitement are gently processed
• Processing and discharge of traumatic stress through titration and pendulation

Due to its careful approach, the Somatic Experiencing approach is particularly suitable for helping to bring the nervous system back into balance from dysregulation after traumatic events.

Psychotherapy with Somatic Experiencing can support self-regulation by gently and mindfully discharging traumatic stress.

Bodynamic® – Building Competences Through Psychotherapeutic Work With the Muscle System

Bodynamic® is designed to strengthen the ability to regulate oneself naturally by developing elementary ego functions.

Bodynamic coaching and therapy aims to make muscular states of tension more flexible and to wake up the muscles with the help of psychotherapeutic support (co-regulation). As a result, the individual can again actively shape their social contacts and react more flexibly. Through this work with the muscular system, the body can better regulate the natural rhythm of tension and relaxation.

This makes it possible to understand psychological defense mechanisms as resources, to develop and practice additional skills and to be able to use physical skills flexibly.

The Bodynamic methodology:

• The awareness of embodiment and movement in contact is created and practiced.
• Sensing awareness is deepened.
• Emerging emotions and physical states of excitement are gently processed
• Own needs and impulses are felt and expressed.
• Muscle tension patterns are encountered and can be released, muscle release patterns are gently supported and can thus wake up a bit.
• Specific muscle exercises to activate psychological functions via the muscular system.

Bodynamic psychotherapy can improve self-regulation by bringing somatic resources into awareness and building them up.