4

• Relaxation Exercises


  • Practice belly breathing
  • Try progressive muscle relaxation
  • Play with Play-Doh
  • Go for a walk
  • Find a guided meditation
  • Do yoga
  • Read a book
  • Listen to music, podcast, or audiobook
  • Unplug - turn off devices
• Ask for Help


  • Text a friend
  • Ask someone to just sit with you
  • Call a family member
  • Talk to an adult you trust
  • Call a friend you haven't talked to recently
• EMOTION

  • An important aspect of understanding the self is acknowledging the presence of emotions.
  • Serve as a driving force in how one acts and behaves. It plays a part in making decisions, embracing certain lifestyles, and relating to others.
  • Lower level responses occurring in the brain, which create biochemical reactions in the body, and consequently cause changes in one’s physical state.
• Emotion

  • Always based on an external stimulus, and almost always come and subside quickly.
  • Being specific and a reaction to something, emotions have corresponding and universal facial expressions and body language.
• Emotion

  • It is a biological experience and response Emotions, which originate as sensations in the body, are intense feelings (exhilaration, terror, despair) that last only seconds to minutes.
  • They are controlled by chemicals our brains release in response to a trigger or event—basically our body's response to whatever is happening around us.
  • The chemicals go throughout our body, forming a feedback loop between our body and brain, creating emotion.
• Feelings

  • The mental portrayal of what is going on in your body when you have an emotion and are the by-product of your brain perceiving and assigning meaning to the emotion.
  • Subjective experiences that frame the interpretation of emotion.
• While emotions start as sensations in the body, feelings are generated from our thoughts about those emotions. Or in other words, feelings are how we interpret emotions and let them sink in.
• mood

  • Affective state
  • In contrast to emotions or feelings, moods are less specific, less intense and less likely to be provoked or instantiated by a particular stimulus or event.
  • are typically described as having either a positive or negative valence.
  • Influenced by the environment, diet, exercise, physical health, and what you choose to think about.
  • They can last minutes, hours, or days, and they have no unique corresponding nonverbal facial expressions or body language.
• The Emotional Components

  1. Subjective Feeling Component - this is where an individual simply experiences the feelings.
  2. Action Tendency Component - once the emotion is identified, the body moves into action.
  3. Appraisal Component - cognitively analyzing the emotion, the individual is able to pick up on the situations, actions, environments, or individuals that are causing the emotion.
• The Emotional Components

  4. Motor Component - this is the communicative function of how we express what we are experiencing (facial expressions, hand gestures, body movements, etc.).

  5. Physiological Component - this component supports all others and is the chemical reaction our body experiences.
• CATEGORIES FOR Theories of emotions

  1. PHYSIOLOGICAL THEORIES - suggest that responses within the body are responsible for emotions.
  2. NEUROLOGICAL THEORIES - propose that activity within the brain leads to emotional responses.
  3. COGNITIVE THEORIES - argue that thoughts and other mental activity play an essential role in forming emotions.
  4. SOCIAL THEORIES - posits that emotions occur within the course of social interactions and within social settings.
• Sources of Emotions and Moods

  1. Personality
  2. Day of the week and time of the day
  3. Weather
  4. Stress
  5. Social activity
  6. Sleep
• Functions of emotions

  • Adaptive - one of the most important functions of emotions is preparing the body for action. In this sense, each emotion, regardless of any positive or negative connotations, is useful in its own way.
  • Social - emotions communicate our emotional state of mind and express what is going on inside. In addition, they also facilitate social interaction.
  • Motivational - The relationship between motivation and emotions is bidirectional. There is constant feedback between emotions and motivation and vice versa.
• Emotional intelligence

  • refers to the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others.
  • Generally said to include at least three skills:

  1. emotional awareness, or the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions;
  2. the ability to harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and
  3. the ability to manage emotions, which includes both regulating one’s own emotions when necessary and helping others to do the same.
• Emotion regulation

  • is a term generally used to describe a person’s ability to effectively manage and respond to an emotional experience.
  • People unconsciously use strategies to cope with difficult situations many times throughout each day.
  • Most of us use a variety of emotion regulation strategies and are able to apply them to different situations in order to adapt to the demands of our environment.
• Emotion regulation

  • How to effectively manage your emotion
  • Awareness
  • Discover the “why” of emotions
  • What Is the Solution?”
  • Choose How You Want to React
• Mood Boosters

  • Read the story of someone you admire
  • Watch a funny YouTube video
  • Play with an animal
  • Watch a movie you loved when you were younger
  • Reorganize your room
  • Make a list of places you want to travel
• Address Your Basic Needs

  • Eat a healthy snack
  • Drink a glass of water.
  • Take a shower or bath.
  • Take a nap.
• Process Feelings

  • Draw how you’re feeling.
  • Make a gratitude list.
  • Punch a pillow.
  • Scream.
  • Let yourself cry.
  • Rip paper into small pieces.
• Emotion regulation

  Step 3: Think.

  • Now that you have taken a few moments to figure out what exactly it is that you are feeling, think about how you can make yourself feel better.

  Step 4: Help.

  • Take an action to help yourself based upon what you came up with in the “Think” step.
• Emotion regulation

  Step 1: Pause.

  • This step is important because instead of acting on feelings right away, you stop yourself and think things through.
  • Count to 100 or say the alphabet backwards.

  Step 2: Acknowledge What You’re Feeling.

  • For example, are you mad at someone, or are you sad because your feelings were hurt by what they did? Whatever it is that you are feeling, it is ok to feel that way.
• Vent / Venting

  • is not the same as asking for help, it's taking an opportunity to share your feelings out loud.
  • We do this naturally when we talk with someone we can trust about whatever is upsetting us.
  • You can also vent by writing a letter to the person who upset you.
  • Keep the letter a couple of days and then tear it up.
  • Stick to pen and paper—using social media when you are highly emotional can be tempting, but you might say something you regret.
• Problem Solving

  • Make a list of solutions to problems – it can help to brainstorm with a friend of family member.
  • Make a list of your strengths. There are plenty of things about you that are awesome, no matter how down you are feeling at the moment.
  • If a person has upset you, talk with them directly.
• Volunteering /Acts of Kindness

  • Do something nice for someone you know.
  • Help a stranger.
  • Volunteer your time