Wellbeing

How to Deal with our Emotions

Throughout this year the Pre-Prep children have been focusing on their emotions and how to recognise them in our weekly Wellbeing lessons. We all know that every one of us feels a variety of emotions every day and that they are all okay to have – there are no bad or negative emotions! Having the Feeling Monsters in the classroom enables us to link a particular monster to how we are feeling. Posters around the classroom also enable us to use language to express how we are feeling. Feelings and emotions are temporary, they are visitors which we all have at different times. During lessons, we have learnt that it is okay to feel a certain way and that talking about our emotions enables us to have more of an understanding and to think about how we can overcome certain ones.

We have explored how our bodies feel when they respond to different emotions and the different things we can do to bring us back into a positive mindset. Meditation in the classroom enables us to have a sense of calm and reflection time. It also teaches us various strategies that we could use when we feel certain emotions. Breathing techniques have also been explored to help overcome feelings such as sadness, anger, and anxiety.

One of our most favourite things to do has been to consider how music can change our emotions and how we can use this as a tool to help us feel calm. One activity that we took part in was to listen to different types of music and discuss how that piece of music made us feel. This activity gave us an opportunity to use emotional language and to also understand that everyone feels and thinks differently. We know that sharing our feelings with someone we trust is helpful towards feeling positive, and reading different stories has helped us to understand how all these feelings come and go for everyone. In every classroom we have a Calm Corner, filled with lots of different tools that can help us feel calm at times when our minds might be feeling full, for example resources such as guided meditations, Play-Doh, sensory balls and much more. We enjoy sharing and using our Calm Corners to help us keep control of our feelings. What do you do to help yourself feel calm?

In February, as part of Children’s Mental Health Week, Mrs Hewitt recorded a wellbeing talk for parents. The focus was the connections we can nurture with our child and for ourselves that build regulation skills, boosting confidence, resilience and growth. Mrs Hewitt shared tips and strategies for all age groups.