- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Key ideas
- Over three weeks, this course covers how emotions work, mindfulness, and the space between emotion and action. / Today's goal is to understand how emotions work and to know my own patterns.
- Opening question
- “Even when different things happen, why do I keep reacting with the same feelings?”
- Lessons
- Introduction · 1:55
- How am I feeling right now? · 3:10
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 1–7: Identifying Our Emotions Honestly / Giving Ourselves the Freedom to Express / Resolving to Recognize Our Emotions …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
Lessons + workbooks + teaching guide
Teaching Guide
Session-by-session plans for running the lessons + workbook program. Print and use as written, and adjust timing and order to your class.
You will need
- A screen to play the lessons (streamed from the Academy)
- A printed workbook for each student (or the web workbook)
- The emotion chart (front of the workbook)
- Pens or pencils
Timing (45 minutes)
| 5 min | Opening question |
|---|---|
| 10–15 min | Watch the lesson |
| 15 min | Activity |
| 10 min | Workbook writing |
| 5 min | Close: one small action for this week |
Ground rules
- Journals belong to students. Share feeling words and reflections, not entries.
- Students who prefer not to speak can pass. Writing counts as taking part.
- Newcomer students may write first in a home language or draw.
Safety
If writing or talk suggests self-harm, suicide or abuse, follow your school's counselor and guardian notification procedures right after the session. In the U.S., share 988 (call or text) and 911 for emergencies.
Semester program 16 sessions · weekly
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- The James–Lange theory says the body reacts first. / The Schachter–Singer theory says our interpretation decides the emotion.
- Opening question
- “Where do emotions actually come from?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 8–14: All Emotions Have a Purpose / Identifying Our Emotional Patterns / Recognizing the Emotions We Ignored …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- Emotional patterns are formed through repetition. / Five roots work together: association, neuroplasticity, beliefs, regulation, and attachment.
- Opening question
- “Why do I keep feeling the same emotions?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 15–21: Emotions Contain Both Light and Darkness / Practicing Emotional Acceptance / Letting Experiences Flow Naturally …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Look back on the month and list people and services to turn to.
- Key ideas
- Write down a repeating feeling, and the situation, body, and action that came with it. / Write a little in your emotion diary every day.
- Opening question
- “What emotional patterns do I have?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- One-month review → a letter to oneself → a list of people and services to reach out to
- Workbook
- DAY 22–31: Practicing Mindfulness with Emotions / Paying Attention to Physical Sensations / The Courage to Observe Our Emotions …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Opening question
- “When emotions come rushing in, where do I stand?”
- Lessons
- Introduction · 1:29
- What is mindfulness? · 2:09
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 1–7: Excitement and Fear Share One Body / The Ending Comes First / Why Unfamiliar Things Feel So Vivid …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- Stay with the here and now, and when that's hard, come back to the breath. / Don't force a change or cover up what you feel.
- Opening question
- “When thoughts sweep you away, where do you come back to?”
- Lessons
- Here and now, as it is · 3:17
- When we accept our emotions · 3:00
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 8–14: Why Unfamiliar Places Tire You More / Habits Live Attached to Places / Falling Asleep in an Unfamiliar Room …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- Emotions come and go like waves. / From the audience's seat, notice: there is this feeling in me.
- Opening question
- “Can we find our balance in the waves of emotion?”
- Lessons
- Three steps in the waves · 2:30
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 15–21: First Impressions Aren’t Made Only Once / Nobody Is Watching You That Closely / The Day of the First Mistake …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Look back on the month and list people and services to turn to.
- Key ideas
- When thoughts sweep you away, come back to the breath. / Move your awareness through the body and let the tension go.
- Opening question
- “Shall we try mindfulness together, right now?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- One-month review → a letter to oneself → a list of people and services to reach out to
- Workbook
- DAY 22–31: Small Progress Changes the Day / What Am I Heading Toward? / A New Chapter of My Story …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Opening question
- “Has anyone ever taught you how to handle difficult emotions?”
- Lessons
- Introduction · 1:42
- Three myths about emotions · 3:33
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 1–7: Exhaustion Is the Body’s Honest Letter / Burnout Comes to People Who Tried Hard / The Three Faces of Burnout …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- Stress is outside pressure minus what I can handle. / Manageable stress becomes energy, and whether it feels good or bad depends on my judgment.
- Opening question
- “Does stress really only come from outside?”
- Lessons
- Stress and burnout · 2:37
- When and how do I get stressed? · 2:29
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 8–14: Holding On Has Stages Too / The Same Thing Weighs More Some Days / When the Warning Light Won’t Go Off …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- Real rest lets your thoughts rest too. Remember the most at-ease you. / Use an emotion chart to find where your heart is right now.
- Opening question
- “When do I feel most at ease?”
- Lessons
- The most at-ease me · 3:27
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 15–21: When Effort Doesn’t Come Back / The Labor Behind a Smiling Face / A Boundary Is the Line That Keeps Me …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Look back on the month and list people and services to turn to.
- Key ideas
- Write down your stress points, the feelings you have then, and what you do then. / A weak spot is one with a strength. Simply know: this is the kind of person I am.
- Opening question
- “Shall we draw our own stress map?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- One-month review → a letter to oneself → a list of people and services to reach out to
- Workbook
- DAY 22–31: Switching Off the Working Mind After Work / A Short Rest Saves the Day / The Exhale Reassures the Body …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Opening question
- “When an emotion rises, what exactly do I do?”
- Lessons
- Introduction · 2:07
- Noticing the emotion · 2:19
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 1–7: Self-Esteem Is How I Treat Myself / Wobbling Is Normal / When Did the Conditions Begin? …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- Acknowledge in your mind that it is natural to feel this way. / Give yourself a moment, and let your body feel the emotion.
- Opening question
- “What does it really mean to accept a feeling?”
- Lessons
- Accepting the emotion · 2:26
- Interpreting the emotion · 3:32
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 8–14: Whose Voice Is My Inner Critic? / Why One Criticism Outlasts Ten Compliments / The Shortcuts the Mind Loves …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- With strong emotions, pull the safety pin and buy time. / Speak with I as the subject, and use empathy and requests instead of blame.
- Opening question
- “When an emotion flares up, how should I act?”
- Lessons
- Planning your action · 2:57
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 15–21: I Learned to See Myself Through Others / Shame and Guilt Are Different / Shame Shrinks When Spoken …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Look back on the month and list people and services to turn to.
- Key ideas
- Look back on the day and praise what went better than yesterday. / Check your body, and turn regrets into a plan for next time.
- Opening question
- “At the end of the day, what can I do for myself?”
- Lessons
- Review and self-care · 2:59
- Activity
- One-month review → a letter to oneself → a list of people and services to reach out to
- Workbook
- DAY 22–31: Small Wins Teach Me to Trust Myself / The Power of “Yet” / Writing Down What I Hold Dear …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
One-month program 4 sessions · sample topic: stress
The one-month program works the same with any topic, for example the Anxiety course (5 lessons) with the Anxiety workbook.
- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Opening question
- “Has anyone ever taught you how to handle difficult emotions?”
- Lessons
- Introduction · 1:42
- Three myths about emotions · 3:33
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 1–7: Exhaustion Is the Body’s Honest Letter / Burnout Comes to People Who Tried Hard / The Three Faces of Burnout …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- Stress is outside pressure minus what I can handle. / Manageable stress becomes energy, and whether it feels good or bad depends on my judgment.
- Opening question
- “Does stress really only come from outside?”
- Lessons
- Stress and burnout · 2:37
- When and how do I get stressed? · 2:29
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 8–14: Holding On Has Stages Too / The Same Thing Weighs More Some Days / When the Warning Light Won’t Go Off …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- Real rest lets your thoughts rest too. Remember the most at-ease you. / Use an emotion chart to find where your heart is right now.
- Opening question
- “When do I feel most at ease?”
- Lessons
- The most at-ease me · 3:27
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 15–21: When Effort Doesn’t Come Back / The Labor Behind a Smiling Face / A Boundary Is the Line That Keeps Me …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Look back on the month and list people and services to turn to.
- Key ideas
- Write down your stress points, the feelings you have then, and what you do then. / A weak spot is one with a strength. Simply know: this is the kind of person I am.
- Opening question
- “Shall we draw our own stress map?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- One-month review → a letter to oneself → a list of people and services to reach out to
- Workbook
- DAY 22–31: Switching Off the Working Mind After Work / A Short Rest Saves the Day / The Exhale Reassures the Body …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
Summer or winter break 10 sessions · 3 weeks × 3 + one back at school
- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Key ideas
- Over three weeks, this course covers how emotions work, mindfulness, and the space between emotion and action. / Today's goal is to understand how emotions work and to know my own patterns.
- Opening question
- “Even when different things happen, why do I keep reacting with the same feelings?”
- Lessons
- Introduction · 1:55
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 1: Excitement and Fear Share One Body
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Notice and name feelings, and start a five-minute daily writing habit.
- Key ideas
- Noticing your emotions is hard for everyone. / Write down how you feel right now in a line or two.
- Opening question
- “These days, how often do you notice your own feelings?”
- Lessons
- How am I feeling right now? · 3:10
- Activity
- Introduce the emotion chart → write DAY 1 together → agree on a five-minute daily writing time
- Workbook
- DAY 2–3: The Ending Comes First / Why Unfamiliar Things Feel So Vivid
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Lessons
- No video · writing and sharing session
- Activity
- Continue last session's workbook pages and share feeling words only. Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 4–7: Not Knowing Is the Heaviest Part / Clumsiness Is Proof You’re Learning / The Gift of the Calendar …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- The James–Lange theory says the body reacts first. / The Schachter–Singer theory says our interpretation decides the emotion.
- Opening question
- “Where do emotions actually come from?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 8–9: Why Unfamiliar Places Tire You More / Habits Live Attached to Places
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Key ideas
- The harder we try to change the outside, the more frustrated we tend to get. / When a feeling comes, turn back to yourself and ask, why did I feel that?
- Opening question
- “When a hard feeling comes, what do you try to change first?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 10–11: Falling Asleep in an Unfamiliar Room / Even Good Change Holds Loss
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Put recurring feelings into words and widen the feeling vocabulary.
- Lessons
- No video · writing and sharing session
- Activity
- Continue last session's workbook pages and share feeling words only. Pick the feeling word that came up most this week → share only the word with a partner → grow related feeling words
- Workbook
- DAY 12–14: Threat or Challenge? / Their Fifth Year and My First Week / Why Week Two Feels Harder
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- Emotional patterns are formed through repetition. / Five roots work together: association, neuroplasticity, beliefs, regulation, and attachment.
- Opening question
- “Why do I keep feeling the same emotions?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 15–16: First Impressions Aren’t Made Only Once / Nobody Is Watching You That Closely
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Key ideas
- Write down a repeating feeling, and the situation, body, and action that came with it. / Write a little in your emotion diary every day.
- Opening question
- “What emotional patterns do I have?”
- Lessons
- Activity
- Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 17–18: The Day of the First Mistake / Being a Friend to Yourself
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Find patterns, body signals and needs in two weeks of writing, and plan one small step for the next seven days.
- Lessons
- No video · writing and sharing session
- Activity
- Continue last session's workbook pages and share feeling words only. Midpoint reflection: patterns, body signals, needs behind feelings → a small plan for the next seven days
- Workbook
- DAY 19–21: It’s Okay to Ask / A Light Greeting Holds You Steady / What Loneliness Is Telling You
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?
- Goal
- Look back on the month and list people and services to turn to.
- Lessons
- No video · writing and sharing session
- Activity
- Continue last session's workbook pages and share feeling words only. One-month review → a letter to oneself → a list of people and services to reach out to
- Workbook
- DAY 22–31: Small Progress Changes the Day / What Am I Heading Toward? / A New Chapter of My Story …
- Prompts
- Which moment in today's lesson felt like your own story?
- What one word names the feeling that came up most this week?