Principle 5: Anxiety management is key
Last updated:Anxiety management is key but co-regulation comes first
Over time, we hope that children and young people with ESBNA will improve their ability to:
- manage uncomfortable thoughts and feelings
- Manage these across various situations.
Learning self-regulation is a gradual process, and co-regulation serves as its fundamental basis.
Co-regulation is where one individual supports another in managing their emotions and behaviours. It helps individuals soothe and manage powerful emotions, especially during challenging situations. As adults, we’ve learned how to:
- separate ourselves from a stressful situation,
- adapt to the situations,
- and overcome intense feelings.
CYP need support to separate from stressful situations and regulate their emotions. They may not understand triggers or be aware of effective calming mechanisms. Co-regulation involves a connected adult interpreting situations for a child. The adult would use strategies, tools, and guidance to help the CYP to soothe themselves.
Teaching anxiety management strategies to CYP is an important intervention that promotes sustained change. This should include traditional anxiety management techniques as covered later in the toolkit. Take a look at the ‘Planning a small steps return’ section.
When supporting CYP experiencing anxiety the aim is not to eradicate anxiety. Anxiety is a functional emotion, so the goal is to teach them to learn to live it and change their responses to it. Teaching CYP the following is essential:
- Noticing their emotions
- Understanding why they arise
- Thinking flexibly about how they respond to them
Co-regulation strategies should focus on physical regulation as well as these higher-order processes.