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Find a nice quiet space to sit. Try to find a spot where you will not be interrupted, or where it's not too loud. It can also be helpful to turn off your phone so you won't feel distracted.
Keeping a journal can be a great way to help you manage your emotions. Your journal can be a place to write down the good things that happened, so you can remember all the positive feelings and experiences. It can also be a great place to write down the more difficult things that happen. Sometimes when you write things down you can see situations a little differently. You can also express everything you're feeling and thinking. Maybe some new solutions will come to your mind as you write things down.
If you want some ideas about what might help when you write about emotions, here are some ideas. But remember, your journal is your own private space, so you can write down anything that makes sense to you.
You can also use numbers to rate your feelings. For example, on a scale of 1-10, how upset am I right now? 1 = not at all; 10 = a whole lot. Do a deep breathing exercise. Did it help the number go down? Is there something else you could do to bring the number down?
Have you ever noticed how your body sends you different signals when you have a strong emotion like anger, frustration, worry, anxiety, or fear? Maybe your heart rate increases, your muscles tense, or you feel butterflies in your stomach. Using deep breathing exercises can help relax your body as well as your mind. Learning how to do deep breathing is easy, and you can practice anytime. Want to learn how to do it? Follow these simple steps!
Try practicing your deep breathing for a few minutes every day when you are feeling calm. That way you'll get really good at it and you'll be able to use it when you are feeling stressed, for example, like right before a test.
Find a comfortable place to sit where you can stretch out your arms and legs. Take three nice deep breaths as you get settled.
Sometimes when we feel angry, anxious, worried, or frustrated, we can hold that tension in our muscles. This exercise is called progressive muscle relaxation, and it helps you release some tension by focusing on your muscles. This will also help you get to know your body better and how it responds to different feelings. For example, when you get worried, do your shoulders hunch up? When you get angry, does your back tense up? As you practice this, you can go right to the group of muscles that is bothering you most to help relieve your tension. Ready to practice?
