Identifying Feelings

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My son came home with a stack of papers from his first day of school. One in particular caught my attention and made me an instant fan of his new teacher.

The “How Do I Feel Today?” handout (shown in the pic above) was given to David and his classmates. Each student was asked to color the figures that represented how they were feeling.

My son colored “Satisfied” and “Happy”, which I felt grateful to see, as those are both desired emotions that feel good.  But even if he was experiencing a less “feel good” emotion, I still would have praised him…for the wonderful act of identifying the feelings that he was having.

I think this classroom handout is golden, and I’d like to incorporate it into my life. It teaches kids — and parents like me! — the importance of reflecting on what they’re feeling. This act is freeing because by addressing our feelings, it opens up millions of doors and pathways inside us, allowing things to flow…things like empowering thoughts and new ideas…things that show us how to manage whatever classroom activity life is currently presenting to us.

Thanks for listening. I feel honored to share my thoughts/feelings with you…and as always, I welcome your thoughts.
How do you feel about all this?
Do you feel it’s beneficial to recognize your feelings?…or can you operate just as well by letting your subconscious handle that stuff, and maybe you prefer to just react instinctively?  
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Hmm, those last questions now have me thinking even deeper about this. Maybe if we get into the habit of pausing periodically to identify our feelings…and get into the habit of then proceeding in a manner that we determine to be the best course of action for things such as re-gaining balance…or feeling happiness/joy/harmony…maybe through the course of repetitive behaviors like that….our initial reactions, and our outcomes, will become more desirable/beneficial? And after we become more proficient at this whole process — one that involves Identifying and Thinking about how we choose to handle a feeling — I bet our repetitive “thinking” successes shift to a process that occurs on more of an Automatic level…one that doesn’t involve as much thinking, because the nature in which we address our feelings has then become a healthful habit…allowing us to expend more of our energy in different areas of personal growth.
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Some food to think about / to feel about :)
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2 thoughts on “Identifying Feelings”

  1. A kind reader recently emailed me to let me know about a resource that provides free printable charts that help children identify feelings and improve behavior.  I’m happy to help spread the word and share the info with you here.  The printable charts are designed for home or school use and are available within the links below:

    Feelings & Emotions charts:
    http://latitudes.org/parents/feelings-emotions-charts/

    Behavior charts:
    http://latitudes.org/behavior-charts

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  2. And here’s another fascinating feelings resource called “The Atlas of Emotions”:

    “This atlas was inspired by a series of conversations between the Dalai Lama and Paul Ekman about the science of emotions. With the help of Stamen Design and Paul’s daughter, Dr. Eve Ekman, this tool was created to be a visual journey through the world of emotions.”
    http://www.paulekman.com/atlas-of-emotions/

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