In Concept 6 (C6), learners will gain awareness of situations that impact their regulation, categorizing them into “triggers” and “sparks.” Triggers include unwelcome events and sensations that cause us to have less comfortable feelings, such as worried, angry, embarrassed, or annoyed. Understanding our triggers helps us to attend to our regulation when we encounter them. We also explore sparks, which are welcome events or sensations that provoke strong feelings of joy, such as giddiness, excitement, elation, etc. Although our sparks are enjoyable, they also can cause us to feel less regulated, such as when we are excited to partner with a friend on a project but can’t focus to be successful. By deepening this situational awareness, learners can better predict and prepare for triggers and sparks, develop a plan for regulating in these situations, and become more adept and confident at advocating for themselves. 

As adult co-regulators, we have a responsibility to help our learners prepare for triggers and sparks as well as provide access to regulation tools, modifications, and accommodations. For example, if a learner is triggered by loud noises, such as a fire alarm, you might provide them advance notice plus offer noise-cancelling headphones. Within a strong and supportive Zones Climate, knowing and understanding each other’s triggers and sparks can help learners build empathy and strengthen perspective-taking skills. However, there is a possibility that inviting learners to share their triggers and sparks may cause them to be vulnerable to having them used against them. For example, with the learner who is sensitive to loud noises, someone might purposefully trigger them by making loud sounds. Be sensitive and honor a learners’ reluctance or unwillingness to share.