MENTAL HEALTH

A movement strategy will look and feel different depending on the state; it is not a one size fi ts all model. Understanding and regulating our own nervous system also allows us to understand and co-regulate others around us. We only need look to nature to understand how we can regulate ourselves and others. When a member of a wild herd of horses has a dysfunctional nervous system – as in feeling distressed – the horse is seen as a liability to the herd because it is not present enough to sense potential danger and alert the herd. Consequently, the herd will work on the distressed horse’s nervous system to bring it back into equilibrium. They do this through coregulation with their own nervous system. When a member of the herd is feeling anxious, the other horses drop their heads and slow their breathing down to slow their own heart rate down. This, in turn, causes the anxious horse’s heart rate to entrain (synchronise) with theirs and so, it too slows down, and the horse begins to feel calm. When a horse is feeling low, fl at or depressed, the other horses increase the speed of their breathing, which causes their heart to beat faster. The depressed horse’s heart rate then speeds up as it entrains with the other horses in the herd and experiences more vitality and energy. The outcome of both responses is to bring the horse’s nervous system back into equilibrium. How can a corporation utilise this approach? Through co-regulation and removing fear from the immobility response. This then increases the three critical components of leadership: resilience, compassion and courage.

WERNER GAIGHER

Questions? wernergaigher@gmail.com