The Zones of Regulation
Helping children to manage their emotions in an easy and practical way
Many children struggle with emotional regulation, which can have an impact on their daily lives. The Zones of Regulation is a cognitive-behavioural method created by Leah Kuhpers, M.A. ED, OTR/L, which teaches children and young people how to recognise and regulate their emotions day to day.
The technique uses a combination of firstly identifying feelings, according to four colours - blue, green, yellow and red, followed by setting out clear actions to take in order to help manage them. The first stage is the cognitive part: the idea is that they place their feelings or thinking patterns (ones which we all might feel in any one day) into one of four coloured areas or zones.
The framework divides emotions into four zones based on their intensity:
The Red Zone is for extremely intense emotions such as anger, rage and aggression
The Yellow Zone is for heightened emotions such as frustration, anxiety and excitement
The Green Zone is for calm, neutral emotions
The Blue Zone is for low, sad emotions
This makes it easier for children who may struggle in managing “big feelings” that have an impact on their daily lives, such as activities like school work and homework or indeed with friends and family. By helping them to see and understand their emotions, they are able to begin to manage them.
The next stage is the behavioural part: Now that they have identified how they feel, they can then consider tools to help them manage their daily tasks. These are practical methods to help them improve learning and overall wellbeing, based on which zone they are in.
Children will also be able to identify these feelings in others, become more skilled in recognising facial expressions and be more able to recognise how their behaviour and actions can affect other people.
Tips for using the Zones of Regulation with your child
Firstly, it’s important to reiterate how all humans experience all of the zones - sometimes all in one day! There are no good or bad zones; the key is that understanding emotions can help us to regulate our mood.
Try asking them - how would you feel in each zone? Can you draw someone in that zone?
Discuss what they might feel in each zone, for example in the red zone “I feel… angry.”
Discuss what they might physically feel in each zone, for example in the yellow zone “I might have butterflies in my tummy.”
Discuss what they might do in a particular zone for example in the red zone might they slam a door or stomp their feet?
Discuss with them what might help them to transition into the Green zone, for example “If I was in the red zone and feeling angry, I might find deep breathing in a calming space helps to calm me down into the Green zone.
Try creating a “Zones of Regulation” with your child, based on them; they can draw or paint the zones with you.
Try creating a “Zones of Regulation Tool Box” with the tools they can use to help themselves calm down if they are in a zone which feels uncomfortable for them.
Come up with a list of things with your child that could help them regulate themselves.
When reading with them, discuss what the characters might be feeling, which zone might they be in and ask them if they can draw what the characters might be feeling?
To find out more about how we can help your child with emotional and behavioural issues, contact our friendly team on 01635 761565 or email us on admin@thekeyclinic.co.uk