I find myself looking at others (and my) behaviours through at brain state/window of tolerance lens all the time since learning this stuff and it makes such a difference. I often use the saying ‘you can’t play chess in a hurricane’ with teachers, with the idea that if someone is dysregulated, there won’t be any learning happening and the first step is to help them find some regulation and sense of safety. If a student is spending a majority of their time outside of the window of tolerance, it makes sense that they are going to be struggling with their social engagement system as this is not priority when they’re in activation (fight/flight/freeze/fawn) mode. When I work with students, I attempt to ‘connect before I direct’, prioritizing the relationship and connection. We use the zones of regulation at my school with many grades and can reference it often with students helping them think about what they can do to feel regulated and in control of their body/mind.
