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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can describe how my feelings link to bodily sensations and explain that all my feelings are valid.

      Key learning points

      1. Feelings can help us learn about ourselves and others.
      2. Feelings can be experienced as bodily sensations which can help us work out what they are.
      3. All feelings are valid.
      4. It is important to let ourselves feel our feelings, even if they are uncomfortable.
      5. We have a choice about what we do as a result of our feelings.

      Keywords

      • Feelings - our thoughts and opinions about things, like feeling proud of our drawing or feeling worried about a test

      • Emotion - a feeling such as happiness or sadness which can be caused by a situation, your body or the people who you are with

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

      • Respond - what we do after something has happened

      Common misconception

      It isn't ok to experience bad feelings. We should feel happy all the time.

      There are no good feelings or bad feelings. It's normal to feel difficult feelings from time to time and there are ways that we can manage these feelings.

      Teacher tip

      Encourage young people to reflect on what different emotions feel like for them and what helps them to respond to these emotions.

      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 words with their definition.

      Correct Answer:support,actions taken to help someone in a difficult or dangerous situation

      actions taken to help someone in a difficult or dangerous situation

      Correct Answer:transition,when something changes or becomes something else

      when something changes or becomes something else

      Correct Answer:disorder,when something does not work or function as it should

      when something does not work or function as it should

      Q2.
      Which of these is not an emotion?

      anger
      sadness
      worry
      Correct answer: pressure

      Q3.
      Which statements are true?

      Correct answer: Change can cause a range of emotions.
      It is rare to experience low-level mental health issues.
      If we are unhappy, others can't help us.
      Correct answer: Everybody faces change and challenge during their life.

      Q4.
      Which are some healthy ways to manage feeling frustrated?

      ignore it
      shout at someone
      Correct answer: take a break
      Correct answer: try doing something another way
      Correct answer: ask for help

      Q5.
      Some of the things that make people feel worried are changes and low ...

      Correct Answer: self-esteem, self esteem

      Q6.
      Why is each emotion important?

      Correct Answer:sadness,helps us know when we need something, e.g., a friend to talk to

      helps us know when we need something, e.g., a friend to talk to

      Correct Answer:anger,might help us know when we disagree with something, e.g., bullying

      might help us know when we disagree with something, e.g., bullying

      Correct Answer:anxiety,helps us understand what we care about, e.g., exam results

      helps us understand what we care about, e.g., exam results

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Match the words to their definition.

      Correct Answer:feelings,our thoughts and opinions about things

      our thoughts and opinions about things

      Correct Answer:emotion,a feeling such as happiness or sadness

      a feeling such as happiness or sadness

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

      a feeling in our bodies or on our skin

      Q2.
      We have a choice about what we do to to our feelings.

      Correct Answer: respond

      Q3.
      Which statements are true?

      It isn't ok to experience bad feelings. We should feel happy all the time.
      Correct answer: Feelings can help us learn about ourselves and others.
      Correct answer: All feelings are valid.
      If we ignore uncomfortable feelings, they'll go away faster.
      Correct answer: There are no good feelings or bad feelings.

      Q4.
      Which are healthy ways to manage our feelings?

      Correct answer: talk to a trusted adult and friends
      ignore how we feel
      Correct answer: do something that we enjoy
      pretend we are ok, even if it's not true

      Q5.
      Our emotions can give us information about what our body needs. If we are tired or , we might feel grumpy or irritable.

      Correct Answer: hungry

      Q6.
      Laura feels tired and unhappy after spending time with her friends. This suggests that ...

      Correct answer: they might not be very good friends
      Correct answer: Laura needs time and space to recharge
      Laura is boring
      Laura isn't a good friend

      To help you plan your 7 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Understanding my feelings, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...