In good company

Despite all the ways we stay connected online, many feel more isolated than ever. What if the remedy isn't more self-help but each other? Discover how co-regulation - the calming influence we have on each other's nervous systems - can transform stress, deepen trust and remind us we're not meant to do life alone.

- Jessica Maguire

We live in an increasingly hyper-individual society. Despite access to more tools of connection than ever before, it often feels like we've never been more anxious, alone and disconnected from our friends, families and communities. The World Health Organisation recently classified the loneliness epidemic as a global health threat, the equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

In these uncertain and unsettling times, investing time and energy in the support networks that comfort you and help you make sense of the world has never been more important. This process is more than simply venting or blowing off steam. It's called co-regulation and it's a key component to maintaining your emotional and physical wellbeing.

In these uncertain and unsettling times, investing time and energy in the support networks that comfort you and help you make sense of the world has never been more important. This process is more than simply venting or blowing off steam. It's called co-regulation and it's a key component to maintaining your emotional and physical wellbeing.

What is co-regulation?

Co-regulation refers to the way your nervous system adapts in response to the people around you.

By attuning to others' emotional states, you're able to bring yourself into a state of nervous-system regulation (or dysregulation) through your connection with them.

You learn how to co-regulate from the moment you're born. As an infant, you rely entirely on your caregivers for co-regulation, learning how to calm yourself by experiencing their calming presence. Over time, you internalise these experiences, eventually becoming able to self-regulate. Co-regulation is the foundation of self-regulation, affecting how well you can independently manage your own emotional responses.