Build a simple pause between a strong feeling and your next reaction with this emotional awareness workbook. It offers a feelings wheel, body-based noticing and practical opposite-action ideas for teens, young people and adults who want words and steps for handling anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt or overwhelm.
When a person feels upset but cannot work out what they are feeling or what to do next, Sitting with Your Feelings Workbook provides a structured emotional regulation and mindfulness activity. It is particularly suited to teenagers, young adults and adults who avoid difficult feelings, become overwhelmed, or need support naming emotions during counselling, wellbeing sessions or at home.
The workbook introduces the idea of sitting with emotions without trying to fix, suppress or judge them. Its six-step process asks readers to acknowledge that something feels off, identify the emotion, avoid calling feelings “bad”, notice where the feeling appears in the body, breathe with curiosity, and use self-compassion. The approach gives a clear framework for a short grounding or reflection practice.
A detailed feelings wheel supports emotional vocabulary by moving from broad feelings such as sadness, anxiety, joy, anger, guilt and curiosity towards more precise words, including lonely, insecure, frustrated, ashamed, grateful and overwhelmed. A practitioner, parent or individual can print the wheel and use it as a check-in prompt before journalling, talking, or planning a coping response.
The final opposite-actions table links common emotions with usual reactions and alternative behaviours. Examples include gradually approaching an anxiety-inducing situation, breaking overwhelming tasks into smaller steps, reconnecting socially during low mood, making amends after guilt, and responding assertively rather than defensively when feeling disrespected. It can support CBT-informed, DBT emotion regulation or psychoeducation work while keeping attention on actions that fit long-term values.
