Theme: Mexico City
August 20
Check in
Expressing our emotions
Talking about our emotions is good for mental wellbeing because talking can help get them out of our brains and help us process them. Understanding emotions takes time and effort. Verbalizing what they are helps us understand them a bit better as opposed to letting them swirl around for too long.
Here are your check in questions:
1. How are you today? Try using an I statement: I feel _ about _ because ___.
Activities
How do I talk about emotions?
Using ‘I’ statements:
'I' statements are a good way to express hurt or anger. It helps the other person understand where you are coming from, and it helps you understand your own feelings better by clearly identifying what is upsetting you and its reason. It goes: 'I feel ___ about ___ because ___.'
2. Describing the degree of the emotion
It is especially important to identify the degree of your anger, your sadness, your nervousness, etc. It can help put things in scale. Degrees can be you feel mildly irritated or extremely angry. Or a tiny bit nervous versus very anxious.
3. Talk about positive and negative emotions and all the ones in between.
Balance your sharing with positive and negative emotions. It's important to highlight when you feel better or when you get excited for something. It can also be sharing when you feel content or a degree of happy :)
Writing, creating, talking about emotions
Other ways to creatively express emotions
you can create a playlist, paint, write a poem etc!
Resources
It’s okay to cry
Letting out your emotions, even in the form of tears, is okay. Crying can help us move on, release high levels of stress, and process deep emotions such as grief.
This video is from Vox
“Never apologize for being sensitive or emotional. It's a sign that you have a big heart, and that you aren't afraid to let others see it. Showing your emotions is a sign of strength.”
Brigitte Nicole