Interoception: The key to emotional regulation

I’ve been doing some training with Zones of Regulation recently, in preparation to roll this out across a school, and have been enthused to see how much their recent Digital Curriculum draws on the notion of Interoception. Finally, we are bringing or bodies back into the room, both in terms of how we understand the science and the interventions we deliver.  

Interoception defined simply is the awareness of our bodies signals that give us clues to our emotional/ psychological state and it is the first stage in emotional regulation.

What is absolutely crucial is that adults delivering emotional regulation interventions (whether that’s a quick re-set or a targeted intervention programme) haave an awareness of their own physiological/ emotional state too. With this in mind I’m sharing an expert of my book Leading Mindfully for Healthy and Successful Schools (2022) which outlines the concepts of neuroception and interoception with a little practice to support your own interoception at the end.

Fight- Flight- Freeze in School 

It is helpful to think about how these processes might play out in schools. The teacher that shouts or squares up to the students who are not doing what they are asked could be characterised as demonstrating a ‘fight defence’. The fear that teachers (particularly new ones) might have of getting back in the classroom, characterised by heart beating; sweating; shallow breathing, whether that is after a difficult lesson or a long holiday could be viewed as a symptom of a flight response. Furthermore, the perceived apathy of some experienced colleagues to student’s misbehaviour as they plough on with their lesson, despite what is happening or the leader that closes the office door and buried their head in a spreadsheet   whilst chaos ensues in the corridor could be conceived of as a form of freeze. What is referred to by Dr Stephen Porges, the proponent of Polyvagal Theory (2017) as dorsal- vagal shut down.  

Neuroception  

Our subconscious ability to detect and respond to threat, is termed Neuroception by Porges, (2017).  Our responses are not voluntary and as a result we may not be fully aware of our motivations or in a position to ‘think our way out of it’. It is not simply a ‘head brain’ process. The brain is connected to the rest of the body’s vital organs via the vagus nerve. As a result, mental processes are accompanied by embodied experiences, the quickening of heart rate, shorten of breath, and even sometimes an evacuation of the bowels. Literally a ‘gut feeling’.  

Understanding neuroception can bring clarity to a previously confusing set of responses, feelings and impulses and allow us to have compassion for ourselves and others. Porges describes his own experience of neuroception whilst having an MRI scan ​(Porges, 2017, p. 67)​. He explains that, as a scientist, he was intrigued by the process which he knew to be very safe. Before undertaking the scan, he described feeling comfortable and not at all anxious. Yet when the platform moved under the MRI magnet, he felt compelled to ask the technician to pause, so he could have glass of water. When they resumed the process, no sooner has his nose reached the core of the scanner when he said, “I can’t do this, get me out”. In his own words he ‘couldn’t deal with the confined space’, it triggered a panic attack (ibid). What this serves to illustrate is that there are certain cues, often unique to us, that our nervous system detects as a threat. When our defences are triggered we can become mobilised (or immobilised), whether or not we want to be. The lack of awareness or intention is key here. As Porges puts it “perception requires a conscious awareness, while neuroception occurs reflexively without awareness” (ibid) 

The difficulty is, if we are constantly in a hypervigilant, self-protective state it is likely that we will either seek unhealthy connection or push connection away altogether. To preserve the integrity of the internal working model we invite more of what we are expecting. In order to move beyond this, Porges suggests that we need to work with the body and invite cues that signal safety to our nervous system. Paradoxically, this provides possibilities to bring to consciously shape our behaviour. Importantly though, it is not so much mind over body, as bringing awareness to the bodies processes in order to not be ruled by them.  

Interoception 

Developing self-understanding involves more than the intellectual capacity to reflect on what we have experienced in the past, though this is important, we also need to learn to be open to whatever arises in our sensory world, the signals of our bones, limbs, the feedback from the organs of torso. They too are valuable sources of information. As Besel Van Der Kolk (2015) reminds us, the body does indeed Keep The Score². In Interpersonal- Neurobiology, this openness and awareness of the body’s physical experience is termed Interoception.  

Through active Interoception, which mindfulness, yoga, qi gong, prayer and many other forms of mediative practice can all cultivate, we can gain a deep sense of connection to ourselves, a bodily sense of being alive. This also allows us to be more deeply connected to others because if we are calm , the non-verbal signals that we project are perceived and processed by others as safe, allowing them in turn to resonate with us.   

For many of us, that our nervous systems are connected to others in a physiological sense might seem a bit wacky. However, on reflection, it really makes a lot of sense. We appraise each other’s body language and tone constantly, seeking to understand where it is safe to build connection and where to step back. Does this person want a hug or a handshake? Even more so since Covid- times. We notice if someone looks withdrawn and think, perhaps something is bothering them? We read whether it is appropriate to intervene, or give them space? This impacts us too. When someone is warm and welcoming, we feel safe and relaxed. When someone shouts or there is an incongruency between their words and our felt experience, we tense up.  

As we shall see in Section Three, being aware of what we communicate through our bodies in the classroom matters. Some simple shifts in manner can make a big difference for our students. For now though, let us consider how our experiences at work, might be impacting our own nervous system through a simple Interoception practice.  

Interoception Practice: 

This practice is best done in a quiet, private space. It will help you to explore, through your imagination what your embodied stress responses might be. You may want to investigate your experience of a place (the playground, the corridors, in the classroom, the assembly hall) or a situation (a whole staff meeting, teaching 8B, coaching a colleague) or it may be an individual relationship (with a particular task, colleague, parent, student, even an Ofsted inspector). It is about exploring with openness and curiosity what arises in your body. There is no requirement to judge it or need to change it (that will come), Simply acknowledging it, being with it and perhaps sending your breath there is enough.   

• Find a comfortable seat. Start by imagine yourself doing that thing/ with that person/ in that space/ situation. This is an enquiry- so remember to be non-judgemental of yourself.  
• Feel your feet on the floor. How are you supporting yourself? Is your weight evenly balanced? Are you giving your full weight into the floor or holding tension further up in your body? Sit with your back away from the back of the chair if possible.  
• Notice, how your body feels in general. How safe do you feel? Is there an inclination to move towards or away from the situation.  
• Enquire into this feeling, what qualities is it imbued with. Is there a tendency to want to control that person or situation? Or to fawn in front of it or be dominated in some way? Do you feel you want to mobilise or immobilise?  
• Now scan through your body. You can put a hand between the bottom of your ribs and your navel. Notice your breath, where the movement is in your body. Is it in your chest? Your belly? Are there parts of you that are frozen or tense? Is your shoulders or upper body collapsed? 
• Next, notice your face: your forehead; jaw; tongue and teeth. Is there a natural sense of a smile? Is there a sense of tension in your jaw, cheeks, or forehead? Do your eyes feel strained or relaxed? As much as is bearable, feel the points or tension rather than resisting them and breathe.    
• What about your shoulders? Notice if there is any tension in your shoulders or neck? Are they open or closed? Hunched or relaxed? Is your centre of gravity forward or backwards? Again, feel into any points of tension and breathe.  
• What about your hands. Are you ready to fight and defend yourself? Is there a tendency to make a fist? Or are your hands open and welcoming? Notice this, without judgement and breathe. 
• Then explore below the diaphragm, we feel things here when we are anxious.  Feel your belly and gut (it can help to put your other hand there). What is going on? Do things feel relaxed? Is there gurgling? Notice without shame or judgement. Do you feel tense or bloated? A little queasy? Do you have butterflies or the need to go to the toilet?  
• Now, bring your attention to the whole of your body once more to finish.  

This practice can become both a source of information and a tool to fight back when we are on ‘automatic pilot’. You may like to practise it regularly in moments where you are relaxed or when you are more tense. The more you practice, the easier it will become. Using intention and focused attention in this way, we can gather information and analyse from open and curious place what is happening inside ourselves. From here we can begin to explore what we can do to remedy it.