Emotions. Everyone has them. They are the way that we understand and respond to the world around us. Usually, something will happen to spark an emotion, which can cause our body to react. Our brain jumps in, trying to make sense of the emotion and assess whether it is an opportunity or a risk for us.
When we learn to recognize our own feelings and the feelings of others, we build skills to support healthy relationships such as self-awareness and empathy. We also make the connection between our thoughts, emotions, and actions, becoming aware that our feelings can impact how we respond to situations. Using tools to regulate ourselves, such as guided breathing exercises, can help us choose to make the healthiest response in the presence of our feelings.
In today’s Wellness Wednesday, we practise recognizing our emotions and try a strategy to regulate ourselves.
Try this:
As a class, group, or family:
· Brainstorm as many emotions and feelings as you can (i.e., sad, happy, tired, embarrassed, relieved, disgusted, excited, awkward, angry, afraid, surprised, etc.).
· Talk about how some emotions will feel positive (i.e., being included, laughing, feeling inspired, etc.) whereas others can seem more negative (i.e., feeling angry, worried, or frustrated). o Find more ideas on SMHO’s “Grab and Go” Feelings Flash Cards https://smho-smso.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Grab-and-go-feelings-flashcards.pdf
· Think about the ways that our body may react to emotions. Think: sweaty palms when we are nervous, a racing heart when we forget something important, jittery when we are arriving to an event, etc. Invite people to share some examples.
· Discuss how our feelings are unique to us. Different people can feel different things for the same situation. For example, some people may feel energized for a pop quiz whereas others may feel scared. Or some of us may feel happy when the attention is on us, where other people may feel
embarrassed. Sometimes, we experience multiple emotions at the same time, such as excited and nervous about the first day of school.
· Since the way we behave is an expression of our emotions and feelings, a guided breathing exercise can help. Guided breathing exercises are effective tools to help us regulate ourselves so that we choose to make the healthiest response to a situation in the presence of our feelings. Follow the instructions in the “Blow Big Feelings Bubbles” image to practise the breathing strategy.
Ask yourself, there is no wrong answer:
How could this breathing strategy help you?
Is there a time when your feelings have impacted how you responded to a situation?
Connecting to our faith:
“You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness.” (James 1:19-20)
We are all made in the image and likeness of God. Our emotions are part of how He created us. To be fully ourselves, we must fully express ourselves. Our ability to be good stewards of our emotions is a reflection of Him.
Further Learning:
· EDUCATOR RESOURCE: SMHO’s “Emotion Charades” activity https://smho-smso.ca/fw/identification-and-management-of-emotions/recognizing/emotion-charades/
· CHILDREN’S BOOK: “Visiting Feelings” by Lauren Rubenstein (read aloud: https://youtu.be/lACRAKVTBHs) · VIDEO: Emotions and the Brain https://youtu.be/xNY0AAUtH3g
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