Lesson video

Hello, welcome to our next lesson in this unit of work Mental well-being: Talking about emotions.

In this lesson, we will understand that we all have a range of emotions, and that we can choose how to respond to these different situations.

This lesson covers some content that may be a sensitive topic for you.

We recommend checking with a trusted adult before starting or doing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

For today's lesson, you will need an exercise book or paper and a pen to write with.

If you do not have this equipment with you now, go and get it and press play when you are ready to resume.

Let's now have a look at our agenda for today.

We will start by looking at a range of emotions.

And asking the question why do we have a range of emotions? We will then look at how emotions act as a response, and how we can manage the effect of these emotions.

We will finish with a reflection and an exit quiz.

Our keyword for today's lesson is emotions.

These are strong feelings, which come from our circumstances, our mood or our relationships with others.

Let's start by discussing the range of emotions that we all experience.

Can you list any emotions? I'll get you started.

The first emotion that comes to my mind is happiness.

I would like you to pause the video now and see how many more emotions you can add to your list.

Okay.

Let's have a look at the six main emotions that we all experience and see if you have got those on your list.

The six main emotions are happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and surprise.

Did you get any of those? Now, you may have other emotions written down and that's really good.

Well done.

But we're going to focus on these six for the next part of the lesson.

So as we have already seen, there are six main emotions.

What we're going to do now is decide whether we think these are a positive emotion or a negative emotion.

Now, on the screen here, this is a continuum line.

So you can place these words anywhere you like along the continuum line.

So for example, let's take, where do you think we would place this on the line? Point to the screen now.

I have placed disgust here on the continuum line.

It does have more negative connotations.

However, sometimes disgust is good because it stops us from doing something that we don't really want to do.

I would like you to pause the video now and have a go at placing the other five emotions upon the continuum line.

Press play when you are ready to compare our responses.

Are you ready to compare our continuum lines? As you can see, I have placed the emotions at different positions on the line.

And in fact, I haven't put anything as a completely negative emotion because even fear and anger can have a positive outcome for us.

For example, if we are scared of something, it means we might not do something that is dangerous.

Your line might look different to mine and that is fine.

We all view emotions in a different way.

But what we now need to look at is how we manage those emotions.

Some are very powerful and we can experience them quickly.

Sometimes these emotions cause us to react.

And sometimes this means we have not spent enough time reflecting on our actions.

It is really healthy that we experience positive and negative emotions.

For example, if a pet was to sadly die, it is healthy for us to feel sad because negative emotions mean that we are processing what has happened.

What matters is how we deal with them.

Pause now and consider the benefits of having both positive and negative emotions.

I would now like you to pause the video and complete the task which is on your worksheet.

You need to watch the video and respond to the questions.

Press play when you are ready to resume the rest of the lesson.

Why do we have a range of emotions? Well, one reason is our hormones.

Your body, during puberty in particular, is releasing a lot of hormones and these are both physical and emotional changes.

The second reason is brain development.

Our brain's neurons need to be constantly pruned and our synapses can be lost or strengthened, depending on how often we use them.

They help us to make clearer choices and as a teenager, your brain is not as socially mature, so it cannot always regulate decisions.

But this is a golden time for learning and growth for your brain.

Let's see if you can remember our list of emotions.

Pause the video now and see if you can write down all six on your piece of paper.

Let's see.

Did you get happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger and surprise? Well done if you did get all six.

Let's now have a look at our emotions as a response.

Remember that there are no good or bad emotions.

But what is important is how we react to different situations.

You should know that you are not alone in how you are feeling.

It will not last forever.

And you can train your brain to cope with different reactions in different situations.

A true or false question for you here.

Emotions are strong feelings which comes from our circumstances, our mood or even our relationships.

Point to the screen now.

Is this statement true or false? I am sure that you agree with me that this is a true statement as it matches with our keyword from the beginning of the lesson.

Let's now discuss how we can manage the effects of our different emotions.

First of all, it's important to name the feeling.

What emotion are you experiencing? Anger, happiness, fear, disgust? Naming it helps you to identify how you are feeling.

Next, accept.

Many people worry that their feelings will intensify for them.

So they avoid this feeling in hope that it will go away.

However, the opposite is true and avoidance only fuels the emotion.

Remind yourself that it is good to feel your feelings.

And say to yourself it's okay to feel angry, happy, sad.

Next, express.

Expressing your feeling is the only way to release it.

For example, you can express your feelings by writing about them, talking to someone, crying and relaxing or even exercising.

Just be sure that you choose an activity that doesn't hurt yourself or anybody else.

And finally, pick a way to look after yourself.

Ask yourself this question.

What do I need right now to take care of myself? You might need a hug, a nap, a walk or some support from someone.

Let's remind ourselves now of those really important steps.

Number one, name the feeling.

Number two, accept what you are feeling.

Number three, express your feeling.

And number four, pick a healthy way to take care of yourself.

Pause the video now and think back over those four steps.

Let's take an example.

Step one, name the feeling.

Well, let's pretend and name the feeling as anger.

What we have to do next is to accept the feeling.

I am angry.

Say that to yourself.

And I am angry because my friends left me out at lunchtime.

Step three is to express your feeling.

So you might want to write down your thoughts and what specifically made you angry.

And finally, pick a healthy way to express that feeling.

So it might be you like to exercise.

So going for a run might also be a good way for you to help manage your emotion of anger.

Your next activity is to pause the video and choose three more emotions and work through the four-step process.

Feel free to go back to look at that slide and remember to press play when you are ready to resume.

Well done for taking part in that activity.

I thought I would share another emotion with you and work through the step process.

So the emotion this time that I have chosen is happiness.

I've accepted the way that I am feeling and identified that it is because I know I have people that I can talk to.

I'm going to express that feeling by writing down on a piece of paper how somebody has made me feel good about myself.

And to take care of myself, and act on that feeling, I am going to message my friend and thank them for being there for me.

I hope that you can see the advantage of this four-step process and that you have written down some ideas for how you might manage different emotions that you experience.

We will finish today's lesson with a reflection.

Let's remember that you can have positive and negative emotions but there is no such thing as good or bad emotions.

It is really important that you accept how you are feeling, identify it and express it.

But make sure that you are choosing a healthy way that looks after yourself when you are expressing your emotions.

You now have an exit quiz to complete.

And if you would like to share any of your work today with us, please do so on Twitter using the @OakNational handle.

Thank you again for joining me on this lesson and I hope to see you again very soon.

Bye bye.