List of Self-Regulation Strategies

This blog aims to provide you with a list of self-regulation strategies.

You can use these strategies for developing, improving or enhancing your self-regulation skills.

This blog will help you acknowledge what self-regulation is and why it is very significant, followed by a list of self-regulation strategies that you can practice anywhere to adopt self-regulation skills. 

What is Self-Regulation?  

Self-regulation is defined as an ability of an individual to examine and manage his energy states, emotions, thoughts and behaviors in an acceptable way, and produce positive outcomes, for example, well-being, loving relationships, and learning. It is referred to as the ability of an individual to maintain balance. 

Importance of Self-Regulation

Self-regulation holds great importance. Self-regulation helps individuals deal with daily stresses and help them to develop self-awareness, emotion regulation, and emotional intelligence.

Self-regulation enables individuals to resist their impulsive behaviors and cheer them up when they feel low. Self-regulation helps individuals manage their behaviors and emotions effectively.

It helps individuals in the regulation of their mood and behaviors according to the environment.

List of Self-Regulation Strategies 

Self-regulation strategies can be divided into three main groups. These three categories are personal, behavioral and environmental.

Personal self-regulation strategies include how an individual monitors and gives meaning to the information.

Behavioral strategies include the actions which an individual takes. Environmental strategies include taking help from the environment for developing self-regulation.

The following is a list of self-regulation strategies based on these three categories, that individuals can follow to develop self-regulation skills. 

Organizing and Transforming Information

The information can be organized and transformed by collecting all the information, highlighting the important points in it, drawing pictures, maps, diagrams or webs to ensure a better understanding of the content.

Goal Setting and Planning/Standard Setting

Identifying goals on the basis of values and needs.

Making an action plan to achieve the goals and working on that plan to successfully complete the goals.

Keeping Records and Monitoring

Keeping records by noting things down, memorizing them, making a list of errors, recording marks I am keeping a draft of all assignments.

Rehearsing and Memorizing (Written or Verbal; Overt or Covert)

Reversing and memorizing the content with the help of mnemonic devices, teaching other people, making sample questions, using imagery technique or rehearsing the content again and again.

Self-Evaluating (Checking Quality or Progress)

Self-evaluation refers to the process of looking over oneself in order to assess oneself.

Individuals can do task analysis by identifying the requirements of the task and planning what they need to do in order to complete the task.

They can give instructions to themselves along with positive feedback to help motivate themselves.

Self-Consequating

Self-consequating involves the use of reinforcement to motivate oneself or imagine punishments such as delay of gratification. 

Seeking Information 

Information about emotional regulation, stress management, and other things can be taken from the library, internet, self-help cards such as anger management cards, rereading records, reading tests and books.

Environmental Structuring

Environmental structuring includes selecting physical settings for calming oneself, avoiding distractions or reducing them and including the break up study periods to enhance learning. 

Seeking Social Assistance

Social assistance can be taken from friends, peers, teachers, elders or emulated exemplary models. 

Practice Self-Control with Games

Games can be played for learning self-control. Some games that help develop self-regulation include Jenga, Freeze, and Simon Says. 

Create a Share Journal

Creating and sharing a journal about questions about a certain thing or situation, thoughts on a situation or somebody’s behavior, and writing connections can help in self-regulation. 

Use Literature

Reading picture books such as My Mouth is a Volcano by Julia Cook, I’m in Charge of Me! by David Parker, and What Were You Thinking? by Brian Smith, Super George and the Invisible Shield by Laurie Mendoza are some interesting books that can help kids develop self-regulation skills.

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is very helpful in developing self-regulation. Mindfulness is referred to as living in the present moment and not the past or the future.

Mindfulness help individuals focus on themselves and the present situation closely, enabling them to maintain self-control.

It also helps them manage thier emotions, stay calm and focus better.

Mindfulness can be increased by mindful eating, mindful breathing, use of five senses to observe events and so forth. 

Discuss or Visualize Scenarios

Discussing or visualizing scenarios can help an individual identify what he would do in a specific situation. He can imaging the pros and cons of behaving in a certain way in a specific situation.

This can help him think of the best way to deal with the situation which he could apply in real life too. This helps him develop self-regulation. 

Use Role-Play

The role-playing technique is anther amazing strategy for self-regulation.

This helps prepare individuals for an upcoming challenging situation so the individual can deal with the situation in the best possible way. 

Use Guided Meditation Videos

Guided meditation helps individuals develop self-regulation skills by enabling them to learn to control their bodies, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in response to a certain situation. 

Develop SMART Goals

SMART goals help individuals identify whether their goals are meaningful and achievable or not.

The SMART criterion gives an opportunity for individuals to plan goal setting by transforming their goals into simple, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based. 

This blog provided you with a list of self-regulation strategies. These strategies can be used to help manage emotions, increase self-awareness and learn self-regulation skills.

This blog helps you to acknowledge ways in which you can develop self-regulation. The self-regulation strategies mentioned above are all very easy and effective.

These can be used in almost every setting. You should also use the self reflective questions as they will give a clear insight of your personality and mind.

If you have any questions or queries, let us know in the comments section. We will be glad to assist you. 

References 

What is Self-Regulation? – Your Therapy Source

What Is Self-Regulation and Why Is It So Important? by Andrea L. Bell (2016)

Common Self-Regulation Strategies | The National Research Centre on the Gifted and Talented (1990- 2013)

15+ Strategies to Help Build Self-Regulation Skills

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