Introduction

Self-settling is the act of calming yourself down from a state of extreme stress or an intensely emotional experience. After reading the definition of self-settling, ask staff to share with the group when they felt overwhelmed or frustrated and could calm themselves down.

After this huddle Staff should be able to:

• Recognize when they feel unsettled.
• Use effective self-settling strategies.
• Identify situations when self-settling strategies may be helpful.

Notes to the huddle leader

• Some common cues that you may need to self-settle are higher breathing rate, clenched hands or jaws, muscular tension, difficulty concentrating or making decisions.
• Some common self-settling techniques include closing your eyes, deep breathing, stretching, visualizing a peaceful scene, having a snack and repeating a mantra.

Guiding questions

• What does “self-settling” mean? Why is it important?
• What cues does your body give you when you might need to take a moment to self-settle?
• What are your self-settling techniques?