Feelings help us make sense of the world. They tell us if we are happy, sad, angry etc. But did you know that how you feel can affect how you think about things and how you behave?For example, for one young boy, not doing well in an exam might make him feel and act:

However had he recognised how sad he felt and then talked to someone about it, then he might have thought and acted differently:

To deal with feelings it is important:

• To talk to someone you trust. This could be a friend, parent, teacher, young carer worker or member of the family. You can chat to them as you are doing other things, it doesn’t need to be a big planned conversation.
• If you can’t think of how to describe how you feel, try drawing how you feel, write down words, or take time and describe what is going on in your head and what it makes you feel like doing.
• Just being listened to can help you feel you’re dealing with things, and it can help if you open up as the other people might do the same thing.
• Try and talk about how you feel often, it’s amazing how natural this will become and is a great way of looking after your mental health and helping you cope when things get on top of you.

For more information, Click on the link that best describes the feelings you have from time to time, or email our online support team in confidence.