The 3 Emotion Regulation Systems
Do you need to dial up your "green zone"?
Hi friends! I hope you’re all having a great July, whatever corner of the world you’re in right now.
Here in the UK, as I’m writing this the thermometer has climbed again and it’s going to be another scorcher of a weekend.
I’m in awe of those dedicated runners in my neighbourhood who still go out pounding the pavements. I just hope no one gets sunstroke!
I’d say it’s definitely a weekend for relaxing in the shade if you can.
Luckily for me, I’m at an urban mindfulness retreat. So, I’m fully in what I now think of as “the green zone” for two whole days. I’ll explain what I mean below.
Hi, I’m Holly, a certified coach and Breathworks mindfulness facilitator. I’m here to help you lead a life full of zest, zen, and purpose. Come join the supportive Zestful Zen community. ✨
The 3 Emotion Regulation Systems
I first learned about the 3 Emotion Regulation Systems when I participated in a Breathworks Mindfulness for Stress course.
Prof. Paul Gilbert, psychologist and founder of Compassion Focused Therapy, developed this evolutionary model which proposes that humans switch between three different systems for managing our emotions.
Each system, associated with a particular brain region and specific chemicals, has a purpose.
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1. The Threat System (Red)
Our threat system wants us to notice when we’re in danger and spur us into action to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
When our threat system is activated, we may feel fear, anxiety, anger or disgust.
While these emotions are unpleasant, they’re not “bad”; they protect us from danger.
It’s right to be afraid of a forest fire, or to be disgusted by the smell of rancid food, so you don’t eat it.
Under threat, adrenaline and cortisol course through our bloodstream, giving us a rush of energy and enabling us to rapidly respond, through our fight, flight or freeze mechanism.
Linked to the amygdala in our “primitive brain”, the threat system helped our ancestors stay alive.
It still plays this role today, but with the stress of modern living, our brains can perceive constant threat even when we aren’t truly in danger (ping, ping, ping go those work email notifications!)
If we get stuck in this red system, elevated cortisol and adrenaline over long periods can negatively affect our health and weaken our immune systems.
2. The Drive System (Blue)
Our drive system wants us to seek out and gather resources for survival.
The neurotransmitter dopamine motivates us to pursue our goals, and when we reach them, we get a rush of pleasure from the brain’s reward centre.
We may feel desire (to get/do something), excitement (as we near our goal) and joy (when we succeed/get it).
Our ancestors needed this motivation and reward system for hunting, gathering and exploring.
Nowadays, many of us pursue career or sports goals instead. I’ve spent a lot of time in drive over the past year as I pursue my path towards solopreneurship.
We need our drive system to push us forward, but as the saying goes, we can have too much of a good thing.
In this age of abundance, we can feel compelled to accumulate wealth, possessions, status, social media “likes” …whatever gives us that sought after dopamine hit.
If we’re prevented from achieving our goals, we may tip from drive (blue) into the threat (red) system, becoming frustrated or angry.
So, basing our happiness solely on achieving goals and getting things isn’t a wise strategy.
We also risk never being satisfied with what we have, always seeking the next big thing as we chase more dopamine. “The grass is always greener…”
Our drive system is linked to the brain’s nucleus accumbens.
3. The Soothing System (Green)
Our soothing system is activated when we feel safe and our needs/desires are met.
We may feel contented, cared for, protected, and fulfilled.
The green system promotes connection to others through kindness, compassion, affection, gratitude, and so on. It’s also known as the calm-and-connect system.
This connection to others helped keep our ancestors alive, and it’s just as important to our wellbeing today.
Our soothing system produces endorphins (natural painkillers) and oxytocin (the “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone”) which provide a sense of wellbeing.
By stimulating our soothing system (e.g. through touch, meditation, self-care), we can reduce pain, discomfort and distress.
But just like the threat and drive systems, there are downsides if we spend too much time in the green; we can lose motivation and energy, and risk depression.
Our soothing system is linked to the prefrontal cortex.
Balancing our Emotion Regulation Systems
Each of these emotion regulation systems, or motivational systems, has a purpose and we need all three.
It’s important not to demonise any of the systems: they’re all appropriate at different times, but we can get stuck in one system for too long.
The key is balance: the systems need to be regulated against each other (the arrows in the diagram).
Which emotion system do you spend most of your time in?
Dialling up the green zone
In today’s modern world, many of us get stuck in the threat or drive systems, causing stress/distress. So, we need to turn up our soothing system to counteract the threat and/or drive systems.
Mindfulness, self-compassion and soothing practices can help us to do this. That’s what I’m focusing on this weekend at my urban retreat.
Next week, I’ll share some practices we can use to dial up our green zone time.
Self-reflection and journal prompts ✍️
What do you notice in your body, when you’re in each emotion regulation system?
Which emotion regulation system do you spend the most time in?
Which system is dominating in this present moment?
How do you know when you’ve spent too long in one system?
What helps you to balance your three emotion regulation systems?
Share your perspective ✨
I’d love to hear your reflections on the three emotion regulation systems. Which system would you like to dial up? How do you notice which system you’re in?
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I hadn't come across this model before but it makes complete sense, Holly. Thanks for sharing and I love the graphic!