Understanding Our Feelings: Dealing with Emotions in a Healthy Way
Learning Goals:
- Learn new words about feelings and how to handle them.
- Talk about good and bad ways to cope with strong emotions.
- Read a story about someone who learned to deal with their emotions better.
- Listen to an expert talk about emotions.
- Write a letter to yourself about how you want to handle your feelings in the future.
Key Words:
- Emotions: Feelings like happiness, sadness, anger, or fear.
- Healthy coping mechanisms: Good ways to deal with our feelings when they get strong.
- Unhealthy coping mechanisms: Ways of dealing with feelings that can hurt us or others.
- Mindfulness: Paying attention to the present moment without judgment.
- Self-compassion: Being kind to yourself, even when you make mistakes.
- Resilience: The ability to bounce back from difficult things.
Let’s Talk About It!
- What are some things that make you feel happy? Sad? Angry?
- What do you do when you’re feeling really stressed or upset? Do you talk to someone? Do you do something to distract yourself?
- Have you ever tried mindfulness or meditation?
Let’s Read a Story!
Maya used to hide her feelings when they were too much. She would pretend to be happy even when she was sad. But this made her feel worse inside. Then, she learned about being mindful and kind to herself. She started talking to a friend about her problems, and she also tried meditation. These things helped her feel much better.
Questions About the Story:
- What did Maya do when she felt overwhelmed by her feelings?
- How did this make her feel?
- What did Maya do to start feeling better?
Listen and Learn!
(Teacher plays a short clip of a psychologist talking about the importance of recognizing and expressing our emotions in healthy ways.)
Talk with a Partner!
One of you is having a bad day. The other offers suggestions for healthy ways to cope.
Example:
- Person 1: “I had a terrible day at work, and I feel really angry.”
- Person 2: “That sounds tough. Maybe you could go for a walk to clear your head or write down how you’re feeling in a journal.”
Homework:
Write a letter to your future self. Imagine you’re writing to yourself five years from now. What advice would you give yourself about handling your emotions?
Extra Fun:
Create a “feelings wheel.” Draw a circle and divide it into different sections for emotions like happy, sad, angry, scared, etc. Write down words that describe each emotion.
