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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can explain different ways of managing a range of feelings.

      Key learning points

      1. Feelings are important.
      2. It's ok to experience a range of feelings but we should think about how we respond to them.
      3. Calming and grounding techniques can help manage strong feelings at the time.
      4. Journaling and other creative methods can help process challenging feelings and situations.
      5. Sometimes, distraction is a good technique to get a break from tricky feelings.

      Keywords

      • Respond - what we do after something has happened

      • Sensation - a feeling in our bodies or on our skin

      • Trigger - something that leads to a strong emotional response

      Common misconception

      Tricky feelings, such as anger or jealousy, should be ignored.

      It is ok to experience any feelings; however, it's how we respond to them that's important.

      Teacher tip

      Create scenarios of fictitious characters where they respond to feelings in an unhelpful way. Challenge the pupils to suggest alternative ways in which the character could have managed their feelings.

      Content guidance

      Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

      Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying

      Supervision

      Adult supervision recommended

      Licence

      This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0
      except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions
      (Collection 2).

      Lesson video

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the following words to the correct definitions.

      Correct Answer:mental health,the health of our minds and emotions

      the health of our minds and emotions

      Correct Answer:stress,your body and mind's response to challenging situations

      your body and mind's response to challenging situations

      Correct Answer:psychological,anything related to the mind or emotions

      anything related to the mind or emotions

      Q2.
      Which of these statements are correct?

      Only some people have mental health.
      Ignoring feelings makes things easier later on.
      Correct answer: Mental health can be influenced by lots of factors.
      Correct answer: We can make choices to positively influence our mental health.

      Q3.
      Choose the word which best completes this sentence: Mental health can be visualised as a spectrum, ranging from healthy to ...

      sustaining.
      struggling.
      Correct answer: suffering.
      supporting.

      Q4.
      Talking about feelings is a sign of ...

      Correct Answer: strength, resilience

      Q5.
      Aisha is feeling heavy with stress. Which of the following might help her?

      taking her stress and frustrations out on her family
      Correct answer: practising mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing
      sitting on a screen for hours without a break
      Correct answer: talking to a trusted adult, such as a parent, carer or teacher
      bottling her feelings up and spending lots of time alone

      Q6.
      Finish the sentence by choosing the best options below: The type of support needed for mental health is ...

      the same for everyone.
      Correct answer: different for everyone.
      Correct answer: dependent on the things going on at the time.
      the same throughout our lives.

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the words to the correct definitions.

      Correct Answer:respond,what we do after something has happened

      what we do after something has happened

      Correct Answer:sensation,a feeling in our bodies or on our skin

      a feeling in our bodies or on our skin

      Correct Answer:trigger,something that leads to a strong emotional response

      something that leads to a strong emotional response

      Q2.
      Match the feelings to the most likely scenario.

      Correct Answer:feeling angry,friend borrowed your favourite book and it got damaged

      friend borrowed your favourite book and it got damaged

      Correct Answer:feeling nervous,going on a fast theme park ride for the very first time

      going on a fast theme park ride for the very first time

      Correct Answer:feeling excited,seeing your friends to celebrate your birthday together

      seeing your friends to celebrate your birthday together

      Correct Answer:feeling confident,standing in front of the class to give a speech that you've rehearsed

      standing in front of the class to give a speech that you've rehearsed

      Q3.
      Becoming aware of and what triggers them can help us to make sense of our feelings.

      Correct Answer: sensations

      Q4.
      Which of these statements are correct?

      We all experience feelings in the same way.
      Correct answer: We all experience feelings in different ways.
      Only some feelings are valid.
      Correct answer: Feelings are important.
      Correct answer: There is no right or wrong way to feel about a situation.

      Q5.
      Allowing ourselves to 'sit with' and experience feelings can ...

      Correct answer: help us to work out what triggers cause us to feel a certain way.
      help us to suppress our feelings.
      help us to be less prepared for similar situations.
      Correct answer: help us to be more prepared for similar situations.

      Q6.
      Which of the following are ways in which we can work with our feelings?

      Ignore our feelings.
      Correct answer: Name our emotions.
      Correct answer: Use calming techniques to deal with strong feelings.
      Shout and scream at others to release anger.
      Correct answer: Use distraction, such as going for a walk, to take our mind off thoughts.

      To help you plan your 8 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Working with my feelings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...