COVID Summer Recovery - Week 6: Where Do Feelings Go?
What To Do With Emotions!
All emotions are natural and okay to have. Let me repeat that again – all emotions are natural and okay to have. Anger, sadness, joy, jealousy, confusion, love, etc. What matters is what we do with the emotion once we have it. Do you yell and scream when you get angry or do you take a break? Do you fight back tears when you are sad or do you give yourself permission to cry it out? Do you take joy for granted or do you take time for gratitude? Do you give up when others have things you want or do you use this as inspiration? Do you try to do things on your own when you’re confused or do you ask for help? Do you push feelings of love away or do you welcome them in with wide open arms?
Download this week’s handout and activity to learn more about what to do with these kinds of emotions (especially if you answered yes to any of the above!).
Why is it helpful to recognize our patterns and learn what to do with our emotions?
once we recognize our common reactions, we start to notice them more and more (it’s like when you get a car and suddenly you see the same exact car everywhere!)
once we are aware of our reactions, we can start choosing how to respond!
if we know what our kid’s common reactions are, we can help them manage their big emotions (this is called co-regulation and supports long-term self-regulation)..
If any of the activities seem difficult for your child to either understand or they seem highly emotional while completing them, please considering reaching out for professional support as this may be an indication they need additional help.
