Noticing My Feelings

You're playing and suddenly feel your tummy getting tight and your face getting hot. What is happening?

When your body feels tight or hot, it's giving you important information about your feelings. This is called self-awareness - noticing what's happening inside your body. Your body helps you understand your emotions!

Your friend shows you their drawing. You notice your heart feels warm and you smile. How are you feeling?

A warm heart and a smile are your body's way of showing happiness! When we notice these good feelings, we can enjoy them even more. This is part of self-awareness - paying attention to happy feelings, not just upset ones.

You're trying to build a block tower but it keeps falling down. You feel frustrated. What does frustrated mean?

Frustrated is the word for feeling upset when something is difficult or not going the way you want. Everyone feels frustrated sometimes! Knowing the name for your feeling helps you understand yourself better.

In Tibet, people notice the sun rising over the mountains each morning. When you wake up, what can you notice?

Noticing things around us and inside us is called paying attention. Just like people in Tibet notice the beautiful sunrise over their mountains, you can notice the light, sounds, and feelings when you wake up. This helps you start your day with awareness!

You're listening to a story but thinking about playing outside. Then you realize you don't know what happened in the story. What happened?

Sometimes our minds wander and we think about other things. This is normal! Noticing when your attention wanders is actually a good skill. When you notice it, you can gently bring your attention back to the story. This is how we learn to pay attention better.

You're eating your favorite food and notice you're smiling and your tummy feels happy. What is this?

When you notice your smile and happy tummy, you're paying attention to your body's signals! This is self-awareness - noticing what's happening inside you. Our bodies tell us a lot about how we're feeling, and it's good to pay attention!

Your hands are shaking a little before you sing in front of the class. What might this mean?

Shaky hands can mean you're feeling nervous or excited - sometimes both at once! This is your body giving you information. Noticing these feelings helps you understand yourself better. It's normal to feel this way before doing something new!

You're coloring and suddenly realize you've been thinking about recess instead of your picture. What happened?

Our minds like to wander! Noticing when your mind goes somewhere else is actually really good - that's self-awareness. When you notice, you can gently bring your attention back. Everyone's mind wanders sometimes!

In Tibet, children learn to notice the sound of bells ringing in the wind. Why might this be helpful?

In Tibet, the sound of bells helps people practice paying attention. When we notice sounds, sights, and feelings around us, we become more aware. You can practice this too - try listening carefully to sounds in your classroom or outside!

Your face feels hot and your fists are tight. What feeling might this be?

A hot face and tight fists are your body's way of saying you might be feeling angry or frustrated. When you notice these signs, you can take deep breaths to help calm down. Your body is always giving you helpful information!

You notice your friend looks different today - their shoulders are down and they're not smiling. What are you doing?

When you notice how someone looks - like their shoulders being down or not smiling - you're paying attention to them! This helps you understand how they might feel. Noticing others is part of awareness and helps us be good friends.

You feel butterflies in your tummy before your birthday party. What does this feeling tell you?

Butterflies in your tummy often mean you're excited about something! This is a happy kind of nervous feeling. When you can name what you're feeling, you understand yourself better. Excitement feels different from scared or sad butterflies.

You're trying to listen to your teacher but keep thinking about your pet at home. What can you do?

When you notice your mind has wandered, that's great self-awareness! Then you can gently bring your attention back. It's like training a puppy - you kindly bring it back over and over. This is how we get better at paying attention!

What does it mean to 'check in' with yourself?

Checking in with yourself means stopping to notice how you feel. Are you tired? Happy? Worried? Is your body tense or relaxed? When you check in, you learn about yourself. Try checking in a few times each day!