Based on the work of psychologist Robert Thayer, this matrix is one of the key scientific underpinnings of Shanker Self-Reg®, helping us understand the relationship between stress, energy and tension. Every day our brains and bodies are subject to Thayer Matrix: Based on the work of psychologist Robert Thayer, this matrix is one of the key scientific underpinnings of Shanker Self-Reg®
Every day our brains and bodies are subject to constantly shifting arousal states, which Thayer classified in terms of energy/tension:
- Low tension//low energy: calm, relaxed
- Low tension/ high energy: alert, optimistic
- High tension/high energy: motivated, flow
- High tension/low energy: irritable, anxious
LT/LE is the ideal state for restorative sleep
LT/HE is ideal for engaging with challenges
HT/HE is ideal for problem-solving
HT/LE is the result of being overstressed. In this state it is more difficult to return to calm alertness (LT/LE).
Learn more:
Our Leadership for Self-Reg Schools Program explores the Thayer Matrix in detail.
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4 Comments
self-awareness for the practises/stresses for each quadrant -both positive and negative
Thanks for the comment, Tracey! Do you have any times where you’ve used the Thayer Matrix? I’d love to hear more.
Aviva
Years ago, I was teaching Kindergarten Gym, and had a student who had experienced trauma in his life and was really struggling with Self-Reg. Once he got dysregulated, it was really hard for him to calm down, and he would deliberately try to provoke other kids into being dysregulated with him.
One day, he was already dysregulated before we even got to the gym, and he attempts to provoke the others was making everyone unsafe.
We ended up evacuating the Gym, with the ECE waiting outside with the other students, while I stayed inside with the dysregulated student. Without the other students to try to provoke, he turned his attempts to cause dysregulation on me, telling me that he was going to hurt me and started running towards me.
I kept myself regulated, and moved away when he tried to hit me. As this was happening, the Thayer Energy Matrix popped into my head, with the realization that he was in a low energy,/high tension state, and that his attempts to provoke other people into a state of dysregulation were him desperately seeking the epinephrine to keep himself going.
I kept myself calm, and kept my responses to him in this state to a minimum. After a little while, he stopped rushing at me, and sat down on the floor quietly.
Since that day, I have looked at students who try to provoke others when they are upset differently.
Thanks for sharing this story! You make me think a lot about how much Self-Reg impacts our responses especially as we learn more about it. I wonder if others have some Thayer Matrix stories to share.
Aviva