Learn how to embrace and navigate big emotions, including disappointment. Discover strategies for managing challenging emotions and teaching emotional self-regulation. Explore the importance of sharing and seeking advice, as well as techniques like the glitter jar and the game 54321. Prepare for big feelings with deep belly breaths, dancing, and movement.
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Quick takeaways
Emotional self-regulation is a critical skill that should be taught to children, as it affects their relationships, school performance, and mental health outcomes.
Creating an emotional weather coping kit, engaging in gentle exercise, and seeking social support are strategies that can help cope with big emotions.
Deep dives
Understanding the Purpose of Big Emotions
Big feelings like anger, disappointment, and sadness serve as important messages from our brains, signaling that something is wrong or needs attention. Just as pain tells us to move our hand from a hot stove, negative emotional feelings alert us to address unfairness, unmet needs, or overwhelming situations. By acknowledging and exploring these emotions, we can learn important lessons and make positive changes in our lives.
Teaching Emotional Self-Regulation to Children
Emotional self-regulation is a critical skill that should be taught to children, just like teaching them the alphabet or numbers. By helping children identify and label their emotions, caregivers can validate their feelings and encourage emotional vocabulary development. Parents can also model healthy emotional coping strategies and resilience, showing children that it's okay to face and manage big emotions. Research shows that children who struggle to regulate their emotions have difficulties in relationships, school performance, and mental health outcomes.
Practical Strategies for Coping with Big Feelings
There are various strategies adults can use to cope with big emotions. Creating an emotional weather coping kit with items such as stress balls, scented candles, or pictures of loved ones can help divert attention from intense emotions. Engaging in gentle exercise or movement can ground the body and reduce emotional volatility. Deep belly breathing activates the body's rest and digest response, helping to calm the nervous system. And seeking social support by talking to someone or sharing experiences can reduce feelings of isolation and provide valuable advice and empathy.
Understanding and Embracing the Value of Big Feelings
While big feelings may sometimes be challenging or uncomfortable, they are an essential part of being human. Emotions enrich our lives and provide valuable information about our needs and experiences. Rather than trying to suppress or wish away these feelings, it is important to embrace and explore them, as they contribute to personal growth, resilience, and understanding of ourselves and others.
You don't need to be 8 feet tall like Big Bird to have big, big feelings. We all experience emotions of excitement, frustration and sadness that feel overwhelming.
But when Big Bird's fun plans are ruined by rain clouds - Dr Laurie teaches him that there are ways to manage and be prepared for big disappointments and realise that the sun will return soon enough.
(Sesame Workshop is a non-profit organization with a mission to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. The work they do is funded by donations big and small - so if you want to become a part of their important work to improve children’s emotional well-being, then visit: sesameworkshop.org/support-us/)