Worksheet: Emotions 101

Emotions are not problems to fix—they are signals to listen to. Each emotion carries

information about your needs, values, and experiences. For many people, emotions can feel

overwhelming, scary, or even shameful, especially if you were taught to hide or minimize

them. This worksheet is designed to help you build a friendlier relationship with your

emotional world.

Why Do Emotions Feel So Hard?

You may feel scared, judgmental, or disconnected from emotions because:

- You learned that emotions are too much; or not okay

- You were praised for staying strong, logical, or calm.

- You didn’t have safe models of people expressing emotions in healthy ways.

Over time, this can create fear or shame around feelings. But emotions themselves are never

bad—they are natural signals that something matters to you.

Emotions as Messengers

Each emotion has a purpose. Here are some examples:

- Anger → Something feels unfair or your boundary has been crossed.

- Sadness → You’ve lost something important or need comfort.

- Fear → You sense danger or need safety and reassurance.

- Joy → Something is aligned with your values and desires.

- Shame → You fear disconnection or judgment from others.

- Guilt → You acted outside your values and may want to repair.

When you can see emotions as messages instead of problems, you create more space to

respond instead of react.

Reflection Prompts

1. What emotions do I judge or try to avoid the most?

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2. What emotions feel safest or easiest for me to allow?

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3. What would it be like if emotions were simply information, not good or bad?

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Practice: Befriending Emotions

Step 1: Pause and notice—What emotion is present right now?

Step 2: Name it; This feels like sadness; or This feels like fear

Step 3: Get curious—What is this emotion trying to tell me?

Step 4: Offer kindness—Place a hand on your chest or say;It’s okay to feel this

Remember: Emotions come in waves. They rise, peak, and pass. The more you practice, the

less scary they become.

Reflection Notes

What did I notice about my relationship with emotions today?

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