Always tense, or can't stop? Draw your week as three circles

What are the three emotion systems?

Always wound up, unable to settle even when resting; or always pushing on, uneasy the moment you stop. The British psychologist Paul Gilbert explains this with a simple picture: the mind has roughly three emotion systems. One watches for danger (he calls it the threat system; here, "alarm"), one drives us to strive and achieve (the drive system; here, "chase"), and one lets us rest, feel safe and connect with others (the soothing system).

All three are built in, and each has its use. Gilbert noticed that in many people under long-term stress, or who are often hard on themselves, alarm and chase run all day while soothe rarely gets a turn. From this he developed compassion-focused therapy, and the three systems are its starting point: see clearly first, then slowly practise looking after the soothing one.

The picture is a simple model, not a diagnosis, and there's no right answer. The circles change from week to week; in a busy week, bigger alarm and chase circles are normal. What the exercise offers is a look at your own week, and a little room made for calm.

This exercise isn't therapy and doesn't replace professional support. If alarm keeps sounding for a long time and you can't sleep or rest, facing it with a counsellor or psychologist will take you further.

The three emotion systems are a picture described by the British psychologist Paul Gilbert, and the foundation of compassion-focused therapy, which he founded. The drawing and the steps here are our own.

How it works

1. 1Meet the three systems, alarm, chase and soothe, through one example.
2. 2Think back over an ordinary week and drag three bars to draw how big each circle was.
3. 3One system at a time, pick small moments that really happened this week, or write one in your own words.
4. 4Look at the picture: notice which circle is smallest, and your first feeling looking at it.
5. 5Choose one small soothing thing you can do tomorrow, like a minute of slow breathing, and keep it on your three circles card.

References

1. Gilbert, P. (2009). The compassionate mind. Constable.
2. Gilbert, P. (2014). The origins and nature of compassion focused therapy. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 53(1), 6–41.
3. Leaviss, J., & Uttley, L. (2015). Psychotherapeutic benefits of compassion-focused therapy: An early systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 45(5), 927–945.