Surge Capacity

I was recently introduced to the concept of ‘Surge Capacity’ by a colleague who fulfils a similar role to me at a neighbouring school. Like lots of terms, ‘Surge Capacity’ means different things to different people/professions. Electricians would be able to explain it from an electrical current perspective; medical staff would be able to talk with you about the number of patients in hospital and I am sure there are other meanings of it as well. What my colleague enlightened me about was surge capacity in the context of the mental and physical systems that we draw on in times of intense stress or crisis. The fact is that our bodies are wired to deal with such situations in short time frames, but after a certain time, our system ‘maxes out’ causing such things as a lack of motivation and exhaustion. Click on the link below to not only learn more about surge capacity, but what you can do to help yourself and others navigate it.

Surge Capacity and what to do when it’s maxed out

Polyvagal Theory

Last night I attended a 2-hour webinar on Polyvagal Theory, presented by Dr Amy Wallis at the Communities of Wellbeing Meeting. I know that many of you will be thinking ‘poly what?' and to tell you the truth, before last night I didn’t know anything about it either. Needless to say it was very informative and involved a lot of ‘Aha’ moments for me.

In essence, Polyvagal Theory helps explain how our nervous systems impact our behaviours, emotions and thoughts. It is quite complex, but I wanted to share with you the importance of being in tune with your body and how to move yourself from one ‘system’ to another. Part of this involves understanding what helps you to be in the ‘Ventral’ state where you feel safe, socially engaged and connected.

Last night we were asked to identify ‘glimmers’ in our lives that put us into the ‘ventral state’. For some it was watching cat videos, walking, listening to babies laugh, watching flash mobs dancing etc. These were (and are) different for everyone based on personal experiences. The question is, how do you even get into a space where you can think about such things? Here are some suggestions that can help you to stimulate your vagus nerve, allowing you to move into the ‘Ventral Vagal’ space. These include:

Breathing (from the Diaphragm)
Sighing (out loud), humming and singing
Putting cold water on your face
Meditation
Savouring ‘glimmers’ (Using your senses to explore things that help you to feel calm, safe and connected) for at least 30 secs.

What I liked about these ‘transition strategies’ is that they are realistic. At this time, when we are all ‘maxed out’ with our surge capacity, we need small things that can help us. This week I encourage you to try some and help your children to do the same.

For more information on Polyvagal Theory click here

Transition back to onsite learning

Please be assured of our support to help your children transition back to onsite learning in the coming weeks. Please contact your child’s classroom teacher or Carol Wyatt if you think your child will need a significant amount of support so that plans can be made.

Until next time,

Julie Reid, on behalf of the Wellbeing Team

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