Sadness
When we feel sad, what is our emotion telling us?
Sadness is telling you that you have experienced a loss, disappointment, or difficult life event and it is a normal emotional response. It can be a signal to slow down, re-evaluate, and process the experience, helping you adapt, persevere, and grow.
When we feel joy, what is our emotion telling us?
When we feel joy, our emotion is telling us that we are experiencing something positive and meaningful, prompting us to connect with others, pursue more of what makes us feel good, and creating a sense of well-being that can lead to greater resilience and improved health
When we feel fear, what is our emotion telling us?
Fear is telling you that your brain has detected a potential threat, prompting your body to prepare for a "fight or flight" response to keep you safe
When we feel angry, what is our emotion telling us?
Anger tells us that something is wrong, alerting us to problems, unmet needs, or boundary violations
When we feel disgust, what is our emotion telling us?
When we feel disgust, our emotion is telling us to reject something that could be harmful, whether physically (like contaminated food) or socially (like betrayal or moral violations)
What is the difference between sadness and depression?
Sadness is a normal emotion, often temporary, whereas depression is a persistent mental illness with a wider range of symptoms that interfere with daily life.
What is the difference between joy and happiness?
Happiness is short-term, spontaneous, and tends to be linked to external factors such as a gift or positive news. Joy is a deeper, more sustained emotion that stems from an internal state of contentment and can persist through difficult circumstances.
DAILY DOUBLE
What is the difference between fear and anxiety?
Fear is a reaction to a specific, present danger, while anxiety is a more general and future-oriented apprehension about what might happen
What is the difference between anger and frustration?
Frustration is usually less intense than anger. Anger is often more immediate and explosive than frustration. Frustration arises from an obstacle, while anger is a stronger reaction to a perceived wrong, and frustration can be a cause of anger.
What are some coping skills that may help with disgust?
Possible skills: remove yourself from the situation, deep breathing, distracting yourself with a different sensory experience
How does the body react to sadness? What can be seen or felt?
-Facial expressions like a frown, looking down, watery eyes, lip may tremble
-Body language such as shoulders drooping or hunch over, and slower movements
How does the body react to joy? What can be seen or felt?
-Facial expressions like a smile that reaches the eyes, crinkling the corners, along with a relaxed jaw and raised cheeks
-Body language such as laughing, giggling, humming, clapping hand, high energy, dancing
How does the body react to fear? What can be seen or felt?
-Facial expressions like wide eyes, pupils dilate, and eyebrows raise
-Body language such as flinching, hair on the arms stand up, and a tensed or open mouth. Fight or fight response (fight, flight, freeze, fawn, flop)
How does the body react to anger? What can be seen or felt?
-Facial expressions like a furrowed brow and clenched jaw
-Body language such as tense muscles and clenched fists, and physiological changes like a flushed face, sweating, or rapid heart rate
-Aggression such as breaking things or screaming
True or False: What we are wearing impacts how we feel.
True, clothing impacts emotions. Wearing certain clothes can change how we think and feel. This is due to factors such as color, fabric comfort, and the identity or memories associated with an outfit, which can influence our mood, confidence, and self-perception.
What are some coping skills that may help while feeling sad?
Anything that helps you feel more happy or neutral.
Possible skills: journaling, coloring, building/creating something, naming things you are grateful for, talking to someone, going for a walk, listening to happy songs
DAILY DOUBLE
Why would you need to use a coping skill while feeling joy? What are some coping skills that may help while feeling joy?
Feeling joyful is great, but can increase distractions while trying to focus on school or work.
Skills: journaling, talking about your feelings with a friend, grounding/mindfulness activities to improve focus
What are some coping skills that may help while feeling fear?
First make sure that you are safe.
Possible skills: Deep breathing, grounding (identify items in your surroundings), challenge or reframe negative thoughts, talk to someone
What are some coping skills that may help while feeling angry?
Make sure yourself and others are safe
Possible skills: deep breathing, take space and return when more calm, challenge negative thoughts, talk to someone, journal, color, count to 10, exercise or go for a walk
Emotional awareness helps us know and accept ourselves. How can you become more aware of your emotions?
-Check in with yourself throughout the day/week to identify what you are feeling emotionally, physically, and what caused the emotions.
-Put your feelings into words by journaling or talking to someone. Putting emotions into words can help our communication. You might also learn more about yourself in the process if they ask a question you haven't thought of.
-Rate your emotions. Does walking create strong feelings than running? Does an activity consistently improve your mood or only sometimes?
Name 5 other words that describe feeling sad.
Possible answers: hurt, vulnerable, powerless, disappointed, guilty, lonely, tired, bored, insignificant, inferior, rejected, hopeless, miserable, isolated, abandoned, victimized, grief, ashamed, remorseful, empty, embarrassed
Name 5 other words that describe feeling happy.
Possible words: joy, successful, confident, respected, valued, courageous, loving, thankful, sensitive, hopeful, inspired, proud, interested, accepted, powerful, peaceful, trusting, optimistic, content, playful, energetic, excited, eager, caring
Name 5 other words that describe feeling fearful.
Possible words: scared, anxious, insecure, weak, rejected, threatened, helpless, frightened, overwhelmed, worried, inadequate, unprepared, inferior, worthless, insignificant, excluded, nervous, exposed, targeted
Name 5 other words that describe feeling anger.
let down, humiliated, bitter, mad, aggressive, frustrated, distant, critical, betrayed, resentful, disrespected, ridiculed, indignant, violated, furious, jealous, provoked, hostile, infuriated, annoyed, withdrawn, numb, skeptical, dismissive, offended, hateful, disgust
What are primary and secondary emotions?
Primary emotions are your first, automatic, and instinctive reactions to a situation, such as fear or happiness. Secondary emotions are the feelings that come after the initial emotion.
Primary emotions: sadness, happiness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise
(some) Secondary emotions: shame, envy, confusion, insecurity, pride
Example: feeling fear when you are called on in class to answer a question you don't know can spark feelings of embarrassment or panic
*The secondary emotion doesn't have to match the primary emotion*
Example: Feeling sad about being unable to go out with friends while grounded can spark feelings of jealousy when you see they post happy pictures of their day