Zones of Regulation
Zones of Regulation is a program developed to help children learn to regulate their emotional state.
We use it at St Gregory to help children identify the state they are in and identify tools to get into the Green Zone.
The program uses 4 Zones that represent an emotional state:
- Blue – Tired, Bored, Lazy, Sick, Moving Slowly
- Green –Happy, Calm, Feeling Good, Focused, Ready to Learn,
- Yellow – Frustrated, Worried, Silly, Wiggly, Excited, Loss of some control
- Red – Mad, Angry, Mean, Yelling, Hitting, Disgusted, Out Of Control
When children can identify how they are feeling inside, they can begin to learn how to ‘get back to the Green Zone’.
We help children try different strategies that they can use to regulate their emotional state.
Some basic strategies we use are:
- Deep Breathing – Breath in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Lazy 8 breathing – Draw a figure 8 on a paper or in sand and trace the shape with your finger as you breathe.
- 5 Finger Breathing – Hold one hand up with fingers spread out. Trace the outline of your hand with your index finger. Breath slowly as you do this.
- Christian Meditation -to help calm our minds and bodies. Choose one word or image and focus on it as you sit quietly with your eyes closed. (Some children may not like to close their eyes and may prefer to focus on a picture or object).
- Mind masters or mini mind masters – this is a great audio that helps children calm. They can choose the one that works for them. This should be used once the child is calmed rather than during intense outbursts. Currently the site is under construction. We will upload the link as soon as it is ready.
You can also google Zones Of Regulation for many more links and ideas.