This Self-Reg Roundabout Graphic conveys the key idea that the 5 Practices of Self-Reg are presented in a sequence, but they are not bound to a specific order. Any of the practices can serve as a suitable starting point for doing Self-Reg, depending on the situation.
The practice Reframing appears first, because in order to do Self-Reg, we need to be able to see that stress is often causing the problem we seek to address. On the other hand, sometimes the source of stress is clear to us and we need to focus on strategies to reduce if.
Restoring may be a good initial step when it’s clear someone’s (or our own) energy is depleted. Or perhaps we know a child is stressed, but we need to figure out why. And so on, for the other practices.
However we start, we need to keep all 5 practices in mind because they support each other. It’s not enough to simply reduce the stress. We also need to learn what helps us restore and to engage in those restorative activities when we need to. Additionally, recognizing the stimuli and situations that trigger stress and being aware of the signs of becoming overstressed is vital.
This cyclicality is the key to how Self-Reg becomes custom-tailored to suit the distinctive stress-reactivity and needs of every individual and every situation, hence the usefulness of this Roundabout Graphic.
