Positive Behaviour Support - Department of Human Services - Vic ...

PowerPoint 119
PowerPoint 120
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Maintaining self-control
A plan for self-control
Positive behaviour support: Getting it right from the start - Facilitators reference manual 87
When you believe you are being threatened with physical injury, your body will prepare to reduce
or eliminate the potential threat. This is a normal reaction and is necessary for survival. Stress
caused by repeated experiences of ‘fight or flight’ arousal is cumulative in its effects.
Maintaining self-control in difficult circumstances is one of the hallmarks of professional
behaviour. Therefore developing a series of planned techniques for maintaining (or regaining)
control is very important in reducing this stress and restoring emotional balance.
Critical features of an effective plan for maintaining self-control
1. Self-assessment: taking a moment to check your own physical state.
2. Know your limits: having a clear picture in your mind of how far you might go when you lose
your temper.
3. Regaining self-control: knowing how you feel and what you don’t want to do is a good start. To
be truly effective at self-control, you need to take specific steps to counteract the fight or flight
response. For example if you find that you breathe very rapidly when you are frightened, your
self-control plan would include a conscious effort to breathe slowly and deeply.
4. Restoration and healing: being threatened or physically injured creates emotional stress.
Since emotional stress makes it more difficult for you to stay calm and controlled, it is important
for you to plan methods for restoring your emotional balance after an episode. Talking with a
trusted friend is one of the most common ways of beginning to restore emotional balance.
Since we are each unique individuals, no one way of emotional restoration will work for every
individual. It is important for you to understand what you can do to make yourself feel better
after a stressful incident. Emotional balance is essential for good professional performance.
Complete the plan for self- control