Power of the 5 Senses Part 2: Co-Regulation
Power of the 5 Senses Part 2: Co-Regulation
As previously mentioned, we can utilize our five senses (touch, sight, sound, smell, and taste) as a source for self-soothing, grounding, coping, and otherwise self-regulating when we become triggered or overwhelmed by intense emotions. This can be a great way to call upon the use of our own natural tools. We can also utilize these sensory instruments to offer support and/or seek support from others.
As a species, we are community-based. On an instinctual level, we thrive best in groups or communities. There may have been other life experiences (e.g., trauma) that may have interfered with that natural instinct, but this is often true generally speaking. That being said, we can derive support through our sensory experiences from others in non-verbal ways, such as a hug, sitting together in silence, gentle eye contact, etc. Have you ever had an experience where something bad happened to a friend or family member and you just couldn’t find the words that could adequately comfort them? That’s okay (and probably preferable that you not try). Sometimes non-verbal support is the most effective or appropriate way to offer support via co-regulation.
It has been well-researched that our nervous system not only utilizes our 5 senses to assess the environment around us and read for cues of safety and cues of danger, but our nervous system also “talks” to the nervous system of others–humans and animals alike. In this way, we can influence others around us (for the better or for worse). You see this a lot with babies (for example), when the caregiver is stressed out, the baby becomes inconsolable because the baby’s nervous system is picking up on the cues of stress from the caregiver’s nervous system. But when someone needs our support and we can approach them with a calm nervous system, this can help soothe their nervous system. Additionally, when you add in additional sensory experiences such as touch (e.g., hand on the shoulder, holding hands, etc) and/or pressure (e.g., a hug), this can provide additional supportive cues of safety and soothing. It is also possible to sync up through breathing, helping to slow/deepen the breath and sooth the nervous system of our friend to match our calm breathing pattern.
Given our current situations related to the need to maintain physical distance, these additional supportive options are not always readily available. To that end, let me remind you that this works with animals too! Many dogs are great huggers, and cats can be incredible snugglers. Cats also have the power of the purr which can be another soothing sensory experience combining touch and sound. In my experience, I find that animals are exceptionally attuned to a human’s need for co-regulation.
Some key things to remember from these two articles:
You have the power to self-soothe your own nervous system through the 5 senses.
Our nervous systems “talk” to each other, so if you are stressed out or calm, it’s likely that others (kids, adults, animals) can pick up on that.
Other calm nervous systems (humans and/or animals) can provide non-verbal support to help comfort and soothe through co-regulation
If you feel like you need help developing the skills needed to regulate intense emotions and/or calm your nervous system, I might be able to help you! Click here to learn more or contact me for more information.
