8 activities to work on emotions

The Emotional Intelligence (EI) It is a very popular concept today, as numerous studies have shown that it provides multiple benefits for our mental health and our performance.

Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to identify, understand and regulate one's own emotions and those of others, and applies both clinical, work or educational environment.

Dynamics to educate emotionally

Emotional education should be compulsory in all educational centers, because emotionally intelligent students enjoy and will enjoy greater mental well-being and a stronger personality and prepared for the possible adversities that life may present to them in the future.

In this article, you can find different activities and simple dynamics to work on emotions.

Emotional activities for children

If you are a teacher and want to educate your students in emotional intelligence, then you can find a list of activities that will allow the little ones to develop emotional skills smart.

1. Group balance: the star

Objective: Self-confidence and group cooperation

Duration: 15-20 minutes

Self-confidence it is a psychological variable and an emotion that gives us strength and courage, allows us to achieve new goals and overcome difficult moments that may arise on our way. Having positive expectations about what we can do helps us set motivating goals and guide ourselves toward problem solving.

This dynamic is simple. If it is done in the classroom, you simply have to make a circle with the group of students. The members of the circle should spread their legs a little and shake hands, and the group separates so that the arms are stretched out. Participants are numbered one and two. People with number one will go forward and people with number two backwards.

It is important that participants go forward or backward slowly until they reach a point of balance. In addition, it is also possible to change those of number one to those of number two, and even do it continuously. After finishing the dynamic, a series of questions are asked to the participants so that they share their experience and better assimilate what they have learned. For example, have you noticed any difficulties? How would you represent what you have learned in real life when it comes to trusting a group?

2. The name game

Objective: Self-knowledge

Duration: 15 minutes

This game is ideal for children. Also, despite being simple, It is useful for them to know their positive qualities, which favors self-knowledge.

The children are given two sheets of paper and asked to write down their first and last names. Then, on one of the sheets, they are asked with each letter of their name to write down the qualities that consider that they have (if the name is very long, they can be asked to do so only with the name or the surname). For example: If the person is called Bea Salta, the qualities or virtues can be: Good, energetic, kind, confident, pleasant, smart, hard-working and assertive.

On the other sheet, the children are asked to write the name of someone who has influenced their life. and then they should write words that express how they have influenced them. In this way, a link is created between self-concept and the positive values ​​that have been associated with oneself, generating an autobiographical narrative about the development of his personality that helps to consolidate these regards.

3. Respond to an accusation

Objective: Emotional regulation

Time: 25 minutes

This dynamic is ideal for teachers to educate their students in emotional control.. In the classroom, the teacher should read the beginning of this story aloud.

“Pepe is very happy in the park, when he suddenly sees Rafa coming to meet him. Rafa has a very strange look. Pepe wonders what is happening to him. They approach and greet each other, but immediately Rafa starts screaming. She says that Pepe has made her look very bad with the other boys in the neighborhood, that he is a bad friend, that he is to blame for everything that happens to him. Then Pepe… ”.

Once the story is read, Students must individually think about how they would act if they would find themselves in the situation Pepe is in.. Then, the responses are shared and classified into two groups: those that allow conciliation and seek a peaceful path and those that promote greater conflict. In the form of debate, the conclusion is reached as to why the former are better than the latter.

4. Write a story

Objective: Assertiveness

Duration: 45 minutes

Same as the previous exercise This activity intends for students to distinguish between the ways of responding to an accusation and, in addition, learn to control their emotions and learn to solve conflicts through training by imagination in hypothetical situations that go beyond the social realms to which one is used to.

The group of students is divided into pairs and then they imagine a situation in which there is a conflict. Then, each pair writes a short story that should contain these elements:

• Teens talking or texting on mobile
• An accusation
• Solution that leaves the way open for dialogue

The stories are shared and a group assessment is made of the advantages and disadvantages of solving the conflict, so that it is understood what one end or another implies from the emotional point of view for the people involved in the story.

5. Protection screens

Objective: Empathy

Duration: 25 minutes

Through this activity it is intended that the student verbalize their ideas, beliefs, values ​​and variables related to emotional intelligence. Knowing the other and explaining their ideas and beliefs is ideal to respect them and understand their lifestyle. The objective of this dynamic is to produce efficient communication and respect from all members of the group.

The teacher, therefore, presents a great variety and quantity of photos or magazine clippings and invites each participant to choose two. In turn, each student describes to the others the meaning that the photos they have taken have for them. chosen, what do they suggest, what values ​​and ideas are reflected in the images and what is the reason for the choice.

Activities for youth and adults

Emotional intelligence activities are not only restricted to the little ones. Young people and adults can also benefit from emotional learning, since education is a life-long process.

6. Discussion group

Objective: Self-awareness and teamwork

Time: 30 minutes

The objective of this dynamic is to create a discussion group to discuss and find a joint solution. The participant must share their ideas, beliefs and thoughts on a topic that has been proposed and that deals with the subject of emotional intelligence or education in values. For example:

• Volunteering is a good way to learn responsibility. Why and why not?
• The only person I compete with is "myself." Why yes and why not?
• If I am part of a group, the group's needs must be more important than my wishes. Why yes and why not?

From these discussion proposals, synergies are generated to reach a solution that satisfies most of the sensitivities.

7. the wheel of life

Objective: Self-knowledge

Duration: 20 minutes

The wheel of life is a tool widely used in coaching, as it allows us to know our desires or needs. It gives us the possibility of having a clear vision on paper about what aspects we consider important in our life and want to work. Now, the rue of life is a flexible technique that can be adapted to the situation that interests us the most. For example, for our personal development or to look for work and know what skills we need to work.

To carry out this dynamic, we deliver a sheet of paper that contains a circle with space to write the variables that we want to work on. These spaces will be filled in by the participants. For example, if happiness is worked on, the participants should write down the aspects they consider most important: couple, friends, work, leisure, etc. Afterwards, he evaluates each aspect from one to ten to find out where he thinks he is.

With this tool the person becomes more aware of the areas that he needs to work to achieve a fuller life, and it is possible to design the necessary actions for each point you have chosen. For example, if the participant thinks that her relationship is low, he can design different strategies to improve it: communication, spending more time together. etc. This activity is suitable for teenagers and adults.

8. Conversation 1 to 0

Objective: Active listening and interpersonal communication

Duration 15 minutes

As an investigation by Albert Mehrabian concludes, in a face-to-face conversation, the verbal component only represents 35%. Therefore, more than 65% is non-verbal communication, that is, the communication of our emotions, body posture, eye contact or gestures. This activity aims develop active listening and improve interpersonal communication.

To carry it out, it is necessary to place a row of chairs in the shape of a circle. In front of each chair you have to place another chair, so that the participants sit one in front of the other. The idea is that each participant remains seated for two minutes and then moves to the next chair.

In those two minutes when they are seated, first one of the two participants who is seated facing the front speaks, while the other listens actively, that is, paying attention to non-verbal language (emotions, gestures, etc.). After a minute, the roles are switched and the other talks while his partner actively listens to him. After two minutes, each participant changes their chair. Logically, one member of the couple will go in one direction and the other in another.