Page 126 - Teach Not Preach: A Strength Based Approach to Executive Function Skills

Resilience & Emotional

Regulation

These stress responses were a great thing thousands of years ago

when we were being chased by

mammoths. They are a pretty helpful

thing now if we are in real danger and

need to escape, such as if we are in a

building and there is a fire.

But they aren’t very helpful in most situations nowadays. Most

problems are better sorted by facing them calmly and thinking

things through.

When someone gives us help

or when a problem we have is

solved, the stress chemicals in

our body go down and we feel

calm again.

If we don’t get the right help or another bad thing happens too

soon, the stress chemicals stay high.

If it keeps happening, the stress chemicals stay too high

all of the time. This may make us feel on ‘high alert’ – even

when there isn’t any real danger. We may then react more easily,

even to little things that aren’t so important.

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