WHAT ARE EMOTIONS?

Emotions are feelings, like anger, guilt, hurt, fear, loneliness, jealousy and grief. It's normal to have these feelings sometimes; it happens to everyone!

Express Yourself!

How are you feeling today? Do you keep your feelings bottled up inside, or do you like to show the world how you feel? Whatever feelings you are having--is okay! Your body and brain are telling you something through your emotions.

How Your Body Responds

Do you feel restless? Are you yawning? If so, you would probably say that you feel bored! Maybe you're thinking, "this isn't important" or "I don't care." Well, think about this: when you are bored, your brain is telling you that you are ready to learn a new skill. The emotion, boredom, can give you space for reflection, time to think about things.

Are you frustrated? Are you thinking, "he is wrong!" or "how could she do this to me?!" When you are angry, your palms get warm and damp, your heart rate speeds up and things might look reddish to you. Your body tells you that there is something that you want to change! Anger can motivate you to take action.

Do your chest muscles feel cramped? Is your heart racing? Maybe you have ringing in your ears and tight muscles. Fear really knows how to take over your body! Sometimes you think, "I can't!" or "Oh no! She is going to..." or "This is out of control!" or "I've got to get out of here!" When you are afraid, it is because you need more information to decide if you are safe. Fear can give you protection, and it can make your priorities clear.

How Good It Feels To Be Understood!

Taking the time to recognize, understand and appropriately express how we feel is the right thing to do. When we are able to express our emotions properly, we think and act in a better way. We have better relationships with our parents, family and friends. We understand ourselves, and others understand us. And it feels so good!

Emotions Influence Our Actions!

The way we feel affects our thoughts and actions, and it is impossible to separate our feelings from the things we think and do! Therefore, it is important to be aware of our feelings and to respond to them in the right way. Feelings like anger, jealousy, grief, hurt, loneliness, guilt and fear are not our enemies! We should not keep them deep inside. Instead, we should honor those feelings, understand them and direct them in the proper way. Having a good understanding of your emotions can improve the way you, your family and friends act with each other. Your relationships can be transformed.

Content reproduced and modified with permission from kidsEQ.com, helping children learn to recognize, understand and express their emotions.

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