Feelings and asking for help — Health, 7–10 years
How to notice strong feelings, use safe ways to cope and tell a trusted person when support is needed.
Feelings are body messages
Feelings are signals about what is happening inside us or around us. Worry may make your stomach tight, anger may make your body hot, and sadness may make you want to be quiet. Feelings are real, but they are not instructions to hurt yourself or someone else. You can notice them and choose a safe next step.
Why naming feelings helps
A strong feeling can make a problem seem confusing or impossible to explain. Naming it, such as “I feel worried because I do not know what will happen”, gives your brain and another person useful information. People developed ways to talk, pause, breathe and ask for help because no one should have to handle every difficult feeling alone.
A plan for a worried moment
Before presenting a project, Noor notices a fast heartbeat and a tight stomach. First, she names the feeling: “I am nervous.” Next, she puts both feet on the floor, breathes out slowly three times and looks at the first sentence she practised. Then she tells her teacher she needs a short pause. The feeling may remain, but she has made the moment safer and clearer.
The “stay quiet” trap
A common mistake is hiding a difficult feeling because you think speaking about it will bother people or make it bigger. That can seem sensible when you want to be brave or kind, but silence can leave you carrying the problem alone. Telling a trusted adult is not making trouble; it gives someone a chance to listen and help. If the first person cannot help, tell another.
Where this helps
This skill helps when friendship problems, tests, changes at home, bullying or scary news bring strong feelings. You might talk to a parent, teacher, school counsellor, coach or another trusted adult. If you feel in immediate danger, might hurt yourself or someone else, or cannot stay safe, get an adult’s help right away or contact emergency services.
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