chapter 37
Activity:
An analogy I like to use is watching waves. Often strong emotions can take us by surprise, like a tsunami. Mindfulness can work like an early warning system. If we’re paying attention, we can see the very first ripples of an emotion. Then we can watch the emotional wave get bigger and more powerful. Once we see the wave building, we can choose to step back and move to higher ground so the wave doesn’t come crashing down on us. When I work with teens like Alex and Justin, I often ask them to draw the waves of their anger. Here are two examples.
While everyone’s emotional waves may vary from day to day, we all tend to have emotional patterns. Draw your usual patterns for the following basic emotions.
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Happiness |
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Fear |
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