A Tool For Supporting Our Wellbeing: Reclaiming Our Sooth System
As Social Workers and helping professionals, we face unique challenges that require us to effectively manage our emotions and maintain our well-being. The Three Emotional Regulation Systems model developed by Paul Gilbert offers valuable insights into understanding and nurturing our emotional experiences.
I’ve found this model useful to use as a tool to find balance and prevent burnout in my career.
Understanding the Three Emotional Regulation Systems:
Often we stay in the Drive and Threat system and forget about of our sooth system
The Threat System: The threat system plays a crucial role in our work. It helps us identify and respond to potential dangers or risks for the individuals and communities we serve. However, constantly operating in the threat system can lead to compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, and heightened stress levels. It's essential to recognize when our threat system is activated and take proactive steps to manage and process the emotions that arise.
The Drive System: The drive system fuels our motivation and dedication. It propels us to advocate for change, empower others, and develop our careers. While our drive system is integral to our success, an overactive drive system without proper self-care and boundaries can contribute to burnout. It's crucial to find a healthy balance between our passion and the need for self-preservation.
The Soothing System: The soothing system, often neglected in our profession, is essential for our emotional well-being. It allows us to relax, recharge, and find inner peace. By consciously engaging our soothing system, we can prevent burnout, manage stress, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Prioritising activities that activate this system is crucial for our overall happiness and effectiveness in our work.
Reclaiming the Soothing System: Here are some practical strategies to nurture your soothing system:
Self-Care Rituals: Develop self-care rituals that prioritise your physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Engage in activities that promote relaxation, self reflection and are soothing. This will be different for everyone, and will also change too. At the moment I personally like meditation, getting into nature, reading and I have recently taken up knitting!
Peer Support and Supervision: Regularly engage in supervision and seek support from colleagues who understand the challenges of your work. Sharing experiences, discussing difficult cases, and seeking guidance can help soothe your emotions, provide validation and help process thoughts.
Boundaries: Establish clear boundaries to protect your personal and professional life. Ensure that you allow for breaks, leave work at work and be clear about what is within your role and what isn’t. Setting realistic expectations and limits will prevent overwhelming stress and exhaustion.
Meaningful Connections: Cultivate supportive relationships both within and outside of your professional network. Having meaningful connections can help activate your soothing system and promote overall well-being.
The Three Emotional Regulation Systems model reminds us of the importance of nurturing our soothing system to prevent burnout and maintain emotional balance. By incorporating self-care practices, establishing boundaries, seeking support, and fostering meaningful connections, we can sustain our passion and effectiveness and ultimately strengthen our ability to make a positive impact on the lives of others.