Lion Roars And Deep Breaths

Lion Roars And Deep Breaths:

Internal Regulation Strategies To Bring You Back Into Balance

BY LAUREN QUINN

I’ve never met an ADHDer who isn’t also dysregulated. 

In fact, researchers are beginning to understand emotional dysregulation as a key component of ADHD. 

When we're in a dysregulated state, our bodies don't know if we have a long to-do list or if we’re being chased by a bear–the reaction is the same. We tense up; our stomachs twist in knots; our emotions overwhelm us; we become reactive. Being in this frantic energy is exhausting (no wonder we crash so often).

As a therapist for ADHD who also has ADHD, clients often approach me with the same issues I struggle with: How can I get more organized? How to get out of paralysis? How do I stop feeling so overwhelmed? How can I better manage my big feelings?

Regulation is my answer to any ADHD struggle someone shares with me. When we can regulate our bodies, our ADHD symptoms dissipate, emotions feel easier and we’re better able to roll with the ups and downs of daily life. 

So how do we practice this? 

It starts with recognizing the feelings and thoughts you’re experiencing. That might be hard for us ADHDers, who are thought to have a harder time identifying and processing emotional stimuli due to differences in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. 

Here are common signs of dysregulation:

• Stomach pain

• Heart racing

• Feelings of overwhelm

• Physically rushing: “trying to get things over with”

• Irritability, frustration or anger

• Paralysis

• Explosions of emotions or “meltdowns”

• Crying

Simply recognizing these things as dysregulation is a HUGE start! Noticing these signs in our bodies allows us to take a step back and see these symptoms as a biological response, rather than a personal failing.

So take a second to look through the list and ask yourself: what does it feel like for YOU to be dysregulated? Pin-pointing your personal dysregulation signs will make it easier to recognize them in the moment.

Once you’ve identified that you’re dysregulated, there are both internal and external tools to help you regulate. 

You can try these internal strategies to help you come back into balance: 

Don’t expect to get it right, right away. Repetition is key to this process! The more you practice these strategies, the better your body will get at recalibrating itself. 

Eventually, the practice of identifying dysregulation and interrupting it with an internal regulation strategy will create new patterns of behavior. Rather than spinning out, your new go-to becomes breathing, tapping, lion-roaring–whatever helps you get out of that overwhelmed state and brings you back into balance. 

Of course, it helps to plan ahead and be prepared for those moments of dysregulation. This is where external regulation comes in.

External regulation involves using things outside of ourselves to support that process of internally regulating. Remember the calm-down corner in kindergarten? Think that, but less punitive and more restorative. 

Create a special place in your home, however small, and dedicate it to providing comfort. You can fill it with calming colors, soft pillows or furniture, fidget toys–whatever you need to help restore your body’s equilibrium.

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