Feelings give you information about what is going on around you and inside you. This helps you make decisions about how to interact with the world. You need to look at all the information you have before deciding what to do.
Gathering information from your feelings is like putting together all the pieces of a pie.
P—Feelings help protect you or tell you that you need to change your behavior. When you have a strong feeling, it is your brain’s way of telling you that you need to change your behavior or act quickly. For example, if someone hurts you, you might feel sad or angry. These feelings can prompt you to tell an adult that you need some help.
I—Feelings give you information about your environment, and they can give others information about you. If you are in danger, you get scared. The feeling of fear tells you that you need to look around and make sure you are safe. When you are sad, you might show your sadness by crying. This tells those around you that you need comforting. If you do not show your feelings or talk about them, others will not know you need help.
E—Emotions are not equal to facts! Big feelings, or emotions, can be strong and feel like they are facts about the world. For example, you might have fear before meeting a new teacher or friend, but that does not mean you are actually in danger. If your friend breaks your favorite toy, it would make sense that you might be angry. Your feeling mind might tell you to break his toy in return, but if you listen to your fact mind urging you to talk to your friend, you might learn it was an accident.A DBT-Based Skills Workbook to Help Children Manage Mood Swings, Control Angry Outbursts, and Get Along with Others