Identifying and naming emotions
This feeling happens when your heart beats fast before a presentation or when waiting for something important to happen."
What is nervous/anxiety?
What is deep breathing/belly breathing/calm breathing?
Taking slow, deep breaths when you feel worried or nervous is called this type of breathing."
"When a family member is working on getting healthier or making changes, it takes this—and it doesn't happen overnight."
What is time/patience/a process?
What is beat faster/race/pound?
When you're nervous or anxious, your heart might do this."
You're really good at this position in baseball, and it takes confidence to do it well."
What is pitching?
"You might feel this when someone you care about is gone and you wish they were with you."
What is missing someone/loneliness/sadness?
What is a healthy distraction/doing activities you enjoy?
"Doing something you enjoy—like playing video games, fishing, or sports—to take your mind off stress is called this."
True or False: Kids are responsible for fixing their parents' problems."
What is FALSE? (That's an adult's job—your job is to be a kid!)
What is stress/big feelings/emotions?
"Tears are your body's way of releasing this when emotions get too big to hold inside."
"Being able to cry and show emotions means you have this important quality—you're in touch with your feelings."
What is being sensitive/emotional/in touch with feelings/emotive?
"This feeling can show up as tears even when you're not sure why you're crying—it's your body's way of releasing big emotions."
What is overwhelmed/emotional?
What is grounding/staying present/mindfulness?
"When you notice your body feeling tense or your thoughts racing, you can use this skill to bring yourself back to the present moment by noticing what's around you."
When grown-ups in your family are going through hard times, it's okay for kids to feel THIS—even if the problems aren't yours to solve."
What is worried/sad/affected/lots of feelings?
What is tight/tense/stiff?
"When you're worried or tense, your muscles might feel like this—especially in your shoulders, jaw, or hands."
"You care deeply about the people in your life and form strong connections—this shows you have a big one of these."
What is heart/capacity to love/strong attachments?
What is hopeful/hope?
What is talking about it/sharing your feelings/opening up?
"Instead of keeping all your feelings inside, doing THIS with someone you trust (like a therapist, parent, or friend) can help lighten the load."
"Sometimes when we hope for things to get better, we also need to prepare for this—that change takes time and doesn't always go perfectly."
What is setbacks/ups and downs/realistic expectations?
what is appetite/eating/digestion?
Sometimes when you're stressed, you might notice changes in this—either eating more or less than usual, or your stomach feeling weird."
Even when things are hard, you keep showing up and trying—like coming to therapy and working on tough stuff. That's called this."
What is resilience/strength/courage/being brave?
"This tricky feeling is when you're both excited AND worried about the same thing at the same time."
What is mixed feelings/conflicted/bittersweet?
What is controlling what you can/focusing on your circle of control?
"When you can't control what's happening around you, focusing on what YOU can control—like your effort, attitude, or actions—is called this."
Even when things feel unstable at home, YOU can create your own sense of this by sticking to routines, doing things you enjoy, and taking care of yourself."
What is stability/control/your own normal?
When your body is giving you signals like racing heart, tight muscles, or tears, it's trying to tell you this important message."
You're working on understanding your feelings better and learning to talk through hard things. Someone who does this is showing great..."
What is self-awareness/emotional intelligence/growth/maturity?