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Articles About Emotional Regulation

The Science of Emotional Regulation

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth

The Science of Emotional Regulation, article written by Jillian Enright of Neurodiversity Manitoba

Why "emotional intelligence" is out and interoception is in. The idea that people needed to build their “emotional intelligence” became a pop-psychology fad in the 90s and early 2000s.  Well, that’s not entirely accurate. The growth of this concept began with.

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth, article written by Jillian Enright

Helpful analogies for understanding those big feelings. Being “regulated” doesn’t always mean being calm and quiet. Being regulated means our energy matches the situation we’re in and helps us to be successful in whatever we’re doing.

Dr. Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain

Help Explaining Emotional Dysregulation to Children & Youth

Supporting Loved Ones Through Meltdowns

Dr. Siegel’s Hand Model of the Brain, article written by Jillian Enright of Neurodiversity Manitoba

Dr. Siegel's Hand Model of the Brain, illustrated and explained for Kids, Youth, young adults... and anyone who is looking for a more accessible and easy-to-understand explanation of what happens in our brains, bodies, and nervous systems when we become dysregulated. 

Supporting Loved Ones Through Meltdowns

Supporting Loved Ones Through Meltdowns

When emotions overwhelm those we love. Supporting loved ones through meltdowns, by Jillian Enright

You’re doing everything right. You’ve read all the books on parenting and emotional co-regulation. You’ve provided a safe space where they can calm down when they are dysregulated, and have learned to stay calm no matter what. You're doing everything right and still things are not getting any better. Now what?

When The Help Doesn't Help

When the help doesn't help: More on supporting loved ones through meltdowns, by Jillian Enright

Further advice for supporting loved ones through meltdowns. You’ve read all the books on your loved one’s condition or neurology, you’ve read all about emotional regulation. I offer additional tips for when you’re doing everything right and still you feel as though nothing’s working. 

Interoception & Regulation

Click  to read my article about the importance of interoception & emotional regulation skills.

Read my article about the importance of interoception and how it relates to developing and improving emotional regulation skills. 

Exploring Co-Regulation

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners

Read my article about the importance of co-regulation in learning emotional self-regulation skills.

Read my article about the importance of co-regulation and how co-regulating with children allows them to develop their emotional self-regulation skills. 

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners

How to create safe and effective regulation spaces at home and in the classroom, by Jillian Enright

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners: Creating safe and effective regulation spaces at home and in the classroom. A regulation space — also sometimes called a zen zone, chill zone, sensory space, or calming corner — is a safe and quiet area where a person can go to regulate (i.e. “calm down”) when they are feeling overwhelmed.

Give Your Child A V.O.I.C.E.

How To Set Up Chill Zones Or Calming Corners

Give Your Child A V.O.I.C.E.

Teaching emotional regulation: Validation, Observation, Intervention, Connection, & Education.

Read my article, Giving Your Child A V.O.I.C.E.: Teaching skills for emotional regulation. The first step to raising considerate, compassionate children is being considerate, compassionate parents.

Connect With Me

Regulation Zones, or "Chill" Zones

An important note for adults:

  • There are no "good" or "bad" feelings, all feelings are important signals to us about what we are experiencing. 
  • Regulation is important so our emotions don't overtake us, and our behaviour does not cause harm to ourselves or others. 
  • A chill zone or calming area should never be used as a threat, punishment, or rejection of a child. 
  • The zone is intended to provide a calm, quiet space for a child to seek support and develop emotional self-regulation skills. 

Neurodiversity Manitoba's calming zone and emotional regulation resources

Suggestions & Ideas for Calming Centres

Printable resources are available for purchase in the Neurodiversity Manitoba online shop

Sensory items

Children (and many adults) have often not yet learned what works best for them (us), it is helpful to have a variety of options available for them to try. It may be mort helpful to offer a variety of sensory and fidget items. 

Stuffies & weighted blankets

Stuffed toys are comforting, even for "big" kids. If the children or students are old enough to be self-conscious about snuggling a stuffy, you can try to include older-themed stuffed toys and weighted blankets based on current popular trends.

Books & puzzles

Some children regulate well through engaging their mind in something else entirely. Calm, quiet activities such as reading, doing a puzzle, colouring, or playing with play-dough can be highly beneficial. 

Ear protection & privacy screens

If you're setting up a chill zone in your classroom, you may consider some form of privacy screen for students who become visually distracted or over-stimulated, or who may feel embarrassed by their big emotions. Keeping a basket of ear protectors can also help for those who become overwhelmed by loud environments. At home, you can set up a tent or make one out of a light blanket for kids who like to hide.

Colouring books & notebooks

Appropriate for the child's developmental stage and interests: Colouring items or a notebook to write out one's thoughts can help children process, or they can draw and allow their mind to focus on something else while their body calms down.

Music, mindfulness, or meditation

Depending on the environment, soft music might be helpful. Some kids might prefer happy, energetic music to move their body and shake out their tension. A mindfulness or meditation recording might be helpful as well, there are many excellent guided meditation and mindfulness exercises available for free on various apps. 

Set the example

Children will be more likely to use their self-regulation strategies if they see the adults in their lives using theirs. Parents can work alongside children to make their own calming kits to demonstrate to their children that everyone experiences big feelings and needs tools to regulate themselves. 

Support for adults
Shop printable resources

Adults Are People Too!

We're human. Adults struggle with emotional regulation at times too. We feel overwhelmed, frustrated, angry, anxious, hurt, upset, sad... you get the idea. In order to role-model helpful self-regulation strategies, and provide co-regulation for our kids, we need to first learn and use these skills for ourselves.

Emotional Regulation Support for Adults

ADHD, Autism, And Emotions

ADHD, Autism, And Emotions written by Jillian Enright of Neurodiversity Manitoba

Why do Autistics and people with ADHD seem to get worked up so easily? Why do we seem to be more "sensitive" than others, more emotional, or hot-tempered? I explain why neurodivergent folks often struggle with dysregulation.

Keeping Our Cool

Neurodiversity Manitoba's article with advice for keeping our cool with kids, by Jillian Enright.

Keeping Our Cool With Your Kids: Evidence-based, practical strategies for remaining calm when children we care for are experiencing intense emotions. 

Emotional Co-Regulation

Neurodiversity Manitoba's article about emotional co-regulation by Jillian Enright.

Co-regulation is essential for any relationship. We provide co-regulation for a distressed loved one when our tone, body language, facial expressions, and words all convey calm, comfort, and safety.  

What Have You Done For You Lately?

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation

What Have You Done For You Lately?: Self Care Makes Us Better Parents & Partners, by Jillian Enright

Self Care Makes Us Better Parents, Partners, And Professionals. It's not a tired old cliché - okay, it is, but it's still true. I promise I won't recommend yoga. There’s nothing wrong with yoga, meditation, mindfulness, or any of those general “self-care” activities people tend to recommend, but you won’t find those here...

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation, written by Jillian Enright of Neurodiversity MB

Nothing against yoga or meditation, I'm just talking smaller picture. Smaller daily stressors are insidious because they tend to slowly chip away at our reserves, sometimes without us even noticing (especially if we struggle with self-awareness).

The Day I Could Have Lost My Mind (But Didn’t)

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation

Self-Care That Does Not Involve Yoga or Meditation

The Day I Could Have Lost My Mind (But Didn’t), written by Jillian Enright

The day I could have lost my mind, but didn't. It starts out like any typical Saturday morning. I make my way into the city from our rural home to meet with a client and am there for less than two hours. By the time I start to head back, there is a full-on blizzard happening, complete with zero visibility.

More articles about emotions

More articles about emotions

More articles about emotions

A series of articles about emotional regulation, co-regulation, self-regulation, and interoception.

A series of articles all about emotions: emotional regulation, co-regulation, self-regulation, and interoception. 

Learn more
Shop supports for adults

Further Support & Resources

My Supports & Services

My favourite books about emotions

My favourite books about emotions

Click to view a full list of services and supports offered by Neurodiversity Manitoba.

Click to view a full list of services and supports offered by Neurodiversity Manitoba. A formal diagnosis is not required. 

My favourite books about emotions

My favourite books about emotions

My favourite books about emotions

My favourite books about Emotions and Emotional Regulation

Click for a full list of my favourite books about emotions and emotional regulation, recommended by Neurodiversity Manitoba. 

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