14/07/2024
Helping your family become interoception aware 🥰
Has anyone in your family ever felt overwhelmed by strong emotions and wondered how to manage them better? The key might lie in something called interoception awareness. Let’s break it down!
What is Interoception Awareness?
Interoception is our ability to sense what's happening inside our bodies. It’s how we notice our heartbeat, hunger, thirst, and even the butterflies in our stomach when we’re nervous. Interoception awareness means being tuned in to these internal signals.
Emotional Awareness and Regulation
To manage our emotions effectively, we first need to understand them. This is where interoception awareness comes in. When we recognize our body’s signals, we can better understand our emotional states. For instance, a racing heart might signal anxiety, while a warm sensation could indicate happiness.
Why Emotional Regulation Strategies Can Be Too Advanced
Jumping straight to emotional regulation strategies (like deep breathing or positive self-talk) can be challenging if we haven’t developed a good understanding of our internal signals. It’s like trying to fix a car without knowing what’s wrong with it. We must build interoception awareness first to make these strategies more effective.
Top Tip:
🧘♂️ Body Scan Exercise: Take a few minutes each day to do a body scan. Ask everyone to stop and mentally scan their body from head to toe. Notice any sensations without judgment and ask everyone to describe them.....e.g. tense, tight, empty, fluttery etc. This practice can help your family become more aware of their body's signals and, in turn, emotions.
Building interoception awareness is a crucial step towards better emotional understanding and regulation. Start small, be patient with yourself and your children, and notice how your emotional awareness grows!
Kate xx
