If there ever was a time for flexible thinking, it is now!Earlier this year, we learned about flexible thinking. For a reminder, click here. Flexible thinking means we are able to face change and disappointment with a creative, positive attitude. Remember Rock Brain? He is stuck in his own ways and won't accept change or try new ways of doing things. With all the changes we have seen in our lives in the last few weeks, which kind of thinking do you think would help you most at this time? Have you used your Superflex thinking in the last few weeks? Do you think your teachers and parents have used theirs? Here are some examples of Rock Brain and Superflex thinking during this time: We all have Rock Brain thoughts sometimes and that is normal. Luckily, we know how to change those thoughts with our Superflex thinking powers. Teach your family about it and see who can come up with the best flexible thoughts. The more we practice, the easier it gets. Try it today!
Noticing our emotions and talking about how we feel helps us to deal with strong feelings. Our emotions can build up inside us if we don't express them, causing us to feel poorly or to have an emotional explosion. Some kids might be feeling bored because they have to stay home all the time. Are you feeling bored too? Others might be feeling sad because they miss their friends. Are you feeling that too? Other kids (and parents) might be feeling frustrated because they have to do homeschool. Have you felt that as well? Most of us have. These feelings are normal and ok to have, and the better we get at noticing and expressing them, the better we can deal with them. Let's try practicing it right now. Stop and notice how you are feeling. How is your body feeling? Are your muscles feeling tight or relaxed? What about your heart beat and your breathing? How does your head feel? What about your stomach? Now think about your emotional ABCs or your emotional vocabulary (remember from Move This World). What emotion are you having right now? If you aren't sure, look at the picture below and see if you are having one of these emotions: Now say your emotion out loud.
I feel__________. Say it again I feel _________. One more time. I feel _________. Now take a big, deep breath. Now that you have noticed and said your emotion, you can do something about it if you need to. You might want to talk to someone more about how you are feeling, draw or write about your emotion, or use another one of your calming skills to help yourself feel better. Remember, this situation won't last forever, and now is a great time to practice noticing and expressing our feelings. Try it at least 3 times today and see if it helps you out. To see a Breathing Ball Video on Youtube, click here. |
AuthorSchool Counselor Intern Archives
May 2021
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