Regulate to Educate

Does telling someone to “just calm down” work when they are in a heightened state of emotional overdrive?

Just as it is impossible to get someone to calm down simply by telling them to, this notion of asking, or demanding attention and stating the importance of concentration, is rarely successful. Why? Because the how is not demonstrated and the body and the mind is in a state of dysregulation, making focus and concentration impossible no matter how many times you encourage it to be otherwise.

Tracing back the reason why a person finds it difficult to concentrate invariably comes from the physiological messages being sent from the body to the brain and back again. The body dynamically tries to bring us back to a state of homeostasis and balance, but ultimately the conditions have to be right and that means going into the physiology to help calm the overstimulated mind.

When in a state of stress, agitation, emotional upset or simply just tired, the ability to be able to activate the logical, problem-solving, learning brain is temporarily suspended. Cognitive function, memory retention and learning new information are simply not a priority when the body is in a state of survival and prioritising safety. Even the ability to listen is compromised.

As a high-school teacher for many years, I witnessed this in action, as students struggled to learn and focus in class, their inability to concentrate was often punished as a behavioural issue. I am not saying that sometimes it was simply bad behaviour and intention, but on many occasions, these young people simply did not know how to regulate, how to concentrate and therefore the conditions for learning were simply not there.

Concentration is the skill of holding focus on one thing, a fixed point of attention. This sounds simple enough, but in our fast-paced, scroll-addicted society the ability to maintain a sustained concentration is noticeably becoming almost obsolete, not just in our young people but in almost everyone! We flitter from one thing to another and seek instant gratification, there is almost no time to actually focus on one thing, making the ability to concentrate even more difficult to attain.

Teaching skills of self-regulation to better optimise conditions of balance in the nervous system, body and mind appear to be an obvious answer. I often talk about my past, personal experiences in dealing with high-level anxiety and struggling to complete the simplest of tasks, unable to settle the body and mind and unable to see the wood for the trees. Having actionable strategies to bring the body and mind into a state of balance was a game changer for me and at the very least provides a platform from which regulation, focus, concentration and learning can then occur – not to mention the ability to be able to reach deep states of rest and sleep.

We already have the answer and all the tools we need and it is available for us to use in every moment of every day. With a little guidance breathwork practices designed to calm and balance the body and mind can give us an ongoing solution to this pertinent issue of dysregulation.  Breathing provides us with that back door into the nervous system and can provide the self-soothe button that can bring us back to balance, a state of receptivity that opens up the ability to listen, comprehend and apply new information.

For our amazing teachers who already have a million things to do, the thought of adding more to each lesson could be met with resistance. But ultimately the majority of time in the classroom is spent on behavioural and attentional issues and this dictates the flow of the content delivered. A few simple strategies at the beginning and even during the class could make all the difference. Young people arrive in classrooms all over the country every day, each bringing with them their own personal burdens, stress, trauma, worries and problems. To have the ability to stabilise and regulate the feelings that are dictating their behaviour and to create an environment of safety inside the body and mind brings a different dimension and opens up greater possibilities to optimise learning.

Sacrificing a couple of minutes at the start of a session to pause and breathe could make all the difference. Start by trying a few techniques for yourself, because when you feel the difference on a personal level and experience the benefits conscious breathing can bring, you are more likely to introduce these practices to others.

Calming

·      Nose breathing, slow and low down into the lower lungs can bring the heart rate, blood pressure and heightened sense of arousal down, creating connectivity in the mind and body.  Extend the exhale for extra calming.

Balancing

·      Using a simple box breathing technique of inhale 4 counts, hold four counts, exhale 4 counts and hold the breath out for 4 counts will create balance in the brain enhancing concentration.

 We are blessed with an abundance of practices, all uniquely formulated to have different effects on the nervous system. Regulate to Educate is a professional learning opportunity for teachers or anyone wishing to learn more about the power of breathwork to optimise brain function through nervous system regulation. By adopting these strategies early in life, we are providing the most sacred of life skills for our young people, arming them with the ability to navigate the challenges of life with more ease and grace.