Helping teens regulate their emotions is an important part of their social-emotional development. Here are a few ideas to help them cope with big feelings:
- Wearable fidget: as an alternative to the stress ball, have students use a scrunchie, spinner ring, bracelet, or rubber band as an everyday fidget. Teach them when they are feeling strong emotions to label the emotions, then connect their feelings to their wearable fidget so they can control the emotion. They can pull, twist, and squeeze their fidget when they are emotional while imagining their feelings disappearing with each pull, twist, or squeeze. This puts them in control of the emotion and gives them a place to put their energy.
- Be a mirror: this activity will help students who have strong emotions around criticism. If someone says to them "You are so lazy" the student will be a mirror and say back "Yes, I can be lazy sometimes". If someone says to them "You are always late" the students will be a mirror and say back "Yes, I was late". When students learn to take criticism without taking it to heart, they disarm the other person and have control over their own emotions.
- Name your emotion: being able to label an emotion is one of the first steps in emotional regulation. Have the students choose an emotion, and then talk about what situation makes them feel that way. Click here for the free activity!