Mental Wellness For Families

Dear Families,

We continue to think of you and your families and hope you are well. The recent weather event and loss of basic services has been difficult to say the least. We want you to know we are here for you. This week we are going to showcase self-regulation strategies. We all have times when we feel upset, angy, or in crisis and our bodies feel dysregulated. We encourage you to pay attention to what your body is telling you. You may feel tense or have tight muscles. Your heart may beat faster, your breathing may quicken, or you may feel hot and sweaty. If you feel upset, there are strategies you can use to feel better! Some of these skills may work for you and others may not, and that is okay. Just pay attention to what helps and keep trying new things to regulate. It may be helpful to do some of these activities with your family or a partner- we call this “co-regulation.” Parents and caregivers, it is important that you determine what is safe and helpful for you and your children and that you supervise all activities. When appropriate and/or necessary, please consult with a physician before attempting any of the strategies.

If you need support please reach out to your School Counselor, Parent Support Specialist or your Licensed Mental Health Specialist (LMHP).

Sincerely,

AISD Faculty and Staff

How our Brains Work with Regulation

Our brains work from the bottom up and the inside out. The bottom of our brains, or our brain-stem, is responsible for regulating our heart beat, breathing and basic functioning. We have to be regulated before we can access our mid-brain and engage in relationship skills (relate). Lastly we have to regulate and be able to relate to others before we can listen and learn (reason). The seven things in the graphic can help us regulate so that we can relate and then reason (listen and learn).