Naming your emotions
It’s almost Christmas! And again what a year is has been! Very challenging for our family - and I believe for so many other (expat) families as well!
Our emotional roller coaster ride of relocating from South Africa to Germany is still going strong. But just as Glennon Doyle wrote in her book ‘Untamed’: “Even when the family plane is in turbulence you have to keep serving those peanuts!” So that’s what my husband and I are trying to do every day. We receive great assistance from our dachshund Flink who has taken on his role as ‘family therapist’ in a very unselfish way – he is always available for cuddles and never-ending sleepover rotations 😉
Since all 5 of us are dealing with our emotions and needs in very different ways I was trying to find a more playful way of sharing and learning about our emotions. Being a coach I know that once you can name them, it’s easier to express your needs and to be more understanding and empathetic with yourself and others.
So what did I use:
‘My wheel of emotions’ from Big Life Journal
30 Lego Duplo Bricks in 5 different colours
With my youngest I tend to use fewer bricks to express her feelings, but with my two other kids I use more and try to build their emotional vocabulary!
We keep those bricks close to the dinner table so they are always around. Talking about our emotions by picking and reassembling bricks has added a more light-hearted dimension of sharing them!
Warmly, Viviane