• Feelings!!

    We all are all different in what we think, how we look, and how we act, but one thing we all have in common is that we have feelings. It is important to know how to enjoy the positive feelings as well as how to manage the difficult feelings. Emotion management skills are important for future success in school, your future career and your life. 

    Emotion Management Skills

    1. Staying in control

    2. Peaceful problem solving

    3. Talking about your thoughts and feelings 
     
     

     

     

    Staying in Control: 

    This means that you know how to manage how you feel so that you can react to a situation in appropriate ways. Staying in control means that you do not let your feelings get in the way of you behaving in a respectful and responsible manner. How do you do this?

    1. Understand the problem (Be aware of the situation that caused bad feelings).

    2. Calm down (Count to 10 while taking slow deep breaths).

    3. Brainstorm choices (Decide which choice is the best way to react to the situation).

    4. Make the right choice (Make a choice that is responsible and respectful to everyone involved). 

    5. Talk about how you feel or how you felt with a trusted adult. You may choose to do this during step 3, or you may choose to do so after you have handled your emotions on your own. Adults can be helpful to give you feedback about whether or not you handled a situation appropriately. 

    From: The Kid's Guide to Becoming The Best You Can Be! by: Jill Frankel Hauser

     
     

     

    Peaceful Problem Solving: 

    Here are some simple steps to help you solve problems peacefully with someone instead of letting anger, frustration, disappointment, or jealousy get in the way. This problem solving solution is really helpful for problems you are having with friends, for learning how to manage your emotions, and for deciding if you are making the most positive choices. So get out a piece of paper and start writing... 

    1. State the problem behavior: ______________________________________

    2. BRAINSTORM: What are the possible causes for the problem?

    3. Put a checkmark next to the most important causes. 

    4. BRAINSTORM: What are some solutions to this problem?

    5. Choose the solution that feels best to you and give it a try.

    6. If the first solution does not work, pick another one. KEEP TRYING until you find one that works for you, instead of giving up and giving in to your negative emotions. 

    NOTE: Do you notice that staying in control and problem solving have similar steps? Why do you think that is?

    TALK IT OUT!!!! 

    The most important thing you can do when you are having trouble managing your feelings is to talk with a trusted adult about the situation! 

    1. Identify those adults in your life that you know you can count on. 

    * Teacher

    * Parent

    * Counselor

    * Grandparent

    * Aunt/Uncle

    2. Try problem solving and managing your emotions on your own first. If it does not work, ask an adult to help you discuss the problems or causes of your feelings and then help you find a solution that works best for you. 

    3. Adults in your life can also be very helpful in telling you if you did a good job managing your feelings and behavior. If you still need some practice, a trusted adult is the perfect person to help you brainstorm better ways to manage your feelings and deal with difficult situations so that you stay out of trouble and feel better about yourself.

    REMEMBER: TALK IT OUT!!!

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