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We have three basic emotional systems. Each contributes towards our wellbeing and helps us move
towards who or what really matters to us. More complex emotions are strongly influenced by these 3
basic systems.
Our Defence System is designed to ensure our survival – it needs to be activated, going into alarm
mode when we are in danger, for ‘fight, flight or freeze’. But often this system is activated when we’re
simply imagining danger or feeling emotionally insecure; we don’t need to live all our lives in this state.
Our Drive System gives us the energy and motivation, the ‘get up and go’, to engage with the world
around us, taking action, seizing opportunities and rising to challenges. In this state we derive a sense of
pleasure and achievement from ‘doing’. But we can get caught up in too much ‘doing’ at times.
Our Soothing System enables us to access calm and healing. Now we can experience feelings of
safeness, contentment and ease, and enjoy affection and connectedness with other people and the
wider world. In this state, we can simply enjoy ‘being’ and we tend to be more insightful. The Soothing
System is able to soothe and stand down the Drive and Defence Systems when they are overactive.
We experience resilient wellbeing when we move fluidly and easily between the three systems,
according to our need.
The 3 Emotional Systems
Creating Balance in Our Lives
Text adapted from Jan Williams (with kind permission): www.journey-to-wellness.co.uk
All based on Paul Gilbert’s work: www.compassionatemind.co.uk