I just wanted to share with you all what the energy from our emotions looks like in our bodies and how emotions work. Look at how happiness fills our body with warmth in comparison to a very low mood such as sadness. Anxiety tends to generate energy in our chest area – heart beating faster and shallow breathing. I wonder if you notice this about your body? If you have ever felt your stomach lurch from anxiety or your heart palpate with fear, then you realise that emotions also cause strong physiological reactions. Many of the physiological responses you experience during an emotion, such as sweaty palms or a racing heartbeat, are regulated by the sympathetic nervous system.
When it comes to our emotions; our body is the first place to register that we are feeling an emotion. It then sends signals to the brain which then label and process the emotion.
When teaching children about emotions it is always useful to explore how their body feels. Children can often experience emotions as confusing or overwhelming or not know the words.
By teaching children to tune into their bodies “how does your body feel?” or even highlighting to them what you notice i.e. clenched fists, tense bodies like an uncooked spaghetti… It helps children make the connection to their bodily sensations and the emotion.
Handy Tip:
For those children whose emotions generate a lot of energy in their body, to help them release some of the tension you may like to have a go at doing a progressive muscle relaxation exercise with them.
For more information on exercises to do with children check out I’m Anger – Parent and Educator Guide and Emotion Strategy Cards in the Shop or register interest for Emotion Detectives Group Program