The Blue Zone
This week will focus on the ‘Blue Zone’ from the ‘Zones of Regulation’ program.
The Blue Zone is the low zone. It’s when our heartbeat is slow and is associated with feelings such as tired, bored, flat or sick. It feels cold, lazy and lethargic. The Blue Zone does not include upset. (When we are upset often our hearts are beating faster, we might be crying or angry and our faces might be flushed.) The Blue Zone is the ‘down in the dumps’ kinds of feelings.
While it is perfectly normal and expected to be in the Blue Zone at different times, it’s not a particularly enjoyable Zone. We might be in the Blue Zone first thing in the morning or after a busy day. We might experience longer periods of Blue Zone the deeper into Term we get as get closer to holidays. We might have experienced genuine heartbreak or loss and be in the Blue Zone for days as a result. All of these feelings are perfectly normal and expected. But when you want to get out of the Blue, it’s important to know how.
The strategy we pick to get us out of the Blue Zone depends on which emotion we are feeling. When younger children are still learning to name their emotions, this can be tricky. Also, when some children, like my six-year-old, aren’t interested in answering adult questions when they are in the blue zone. In these situations, using images like faces and emojis is a terrific option for a child to tell you how they are feeling. This will support children to pick a helpful strategy that will move them out of this zone when they are ready.
Strategies:
Here’s some ideas to get out of the blue zone:
- If we are tired or bored, we need to ENERGISE. Try running, dancing, playing, kicking, or singing. Music, laughter and movement are your friends here and it’s great to involve your family and friends.
- If we are sad, we need COMFORT. Hugs, cuddles, warmth and encouragement. Tell someone you trust how you feel and why you feel that way.
- If we are sick or exhausted, we need to REST. Sometimes the Blue Zone is telling us it’s time to stop for the day. We might need sleep or some quiet time to let our bodies do some recovery. Couches, beds, blankets and pillows are needed here.
In the second half of this longer term, all the best for smoothly navigating through the blue zones with your family.