Growing up in poverty doesn’t only mean fewer opportunities because of structural barriers — it also means growing up in conditions that make it harder to handle stress and rein in impulses. These stressors affect self-control — being able to govern one’s thoughts, emotions and behaviour — and self-regulation — the underlying capacity that makes self-control possible.

Children growing up in adversity, with household instability and poor access to basic services are exposed to chronic stress more often, and intensely, than children in better-off families. Consequently, chronic stress floods a child’s body with stress hormones, negatively affecting their ability to self-regulate and control impulses.

These soft skills are so important to child development that they can predict academic performance in school and even criminal behaviour later in life.

In this episode, we dig into what research tells us about self-regulation, how it’s affected by poverty and adversity and what this means for caregivers, NGOs and educators providing services to children and young people. We talk to Tracy Winde, Founder of Heartshine, Wendy Lessing, Director of Khululeka Grief Support and Amanda Edwards, Programme Lead at DGMT.

Visit www.dgmt.co.za/wired-for-stress to read more and access the takeaway instructions.

The Learning Lunch podcast features three types of episodes: Deep Dives; Nourish & Flourish; and Best Bites.

Each podcast/learning lunch session is structured as follows:
The Main Meal - A ±30-minute podcast
The Takeaways - Instructions for a ±30-minute group reflection based on what you listened to.

To learn more about the work that we do, go to www.dgmt.co.za