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Let it flow: Healthy ways to release emotions - Book Review

Let it flow: Healthy ways to release emotions! 

Lipp, R., & Philips, C. (2021). Wilding Books. 

I spend a lot of time talking to parents and teachers and writing about how we can support our tamariki to calm down when they’re feeling big emotions. It’s personal to each child, and while their whānau and teachers will generally have an idea of what helps some of the time, this book is a useful tool to support this further.  

It’s a book where each page is filled with a strategy that supports our bodies and minds to relax. There’s our favourites like breathing and talking, but I love the ideas that hadn’t occurred to me before - ‘patting it out’ with your pet, ‘create it out’ when your child loves making things. Of course these things are soothing for those of us who enjoy them! 

The best thing about this book is that it creates the opportunity for more parents and teachers to have the kōrero with tamariki about what helps when they’re feeling jumbled or frustrated or overly excited. It supports us to understand emotions as energy, and we just need to allow the energy to flow through us in healthy ways - ways that make us feel good. 

Better still (if that’s possible!) the book iterates that if our tamariki are experiencing a big emotion, they don’t need to be punished for it. They just need to practice and do the things that relax them. 

It’s the book I’ll take with me when facilitating parenting programmes, or working individually with parents who are stuck on how to best support their tamariki with their big emotions. It opens the conversation about emotions being normal, and provides guidance on what can support our tamariki, and us, to feel good and function well - in the challenging moments, or any moment.  

Again, I love that Lipp and Phillips bring emotions electrically to life through colour and formations of energy. They present the strategy, the emotions it supports and a physiological explanation. Their combination is reassuring - it all makes good, kind sense.  

It’s honest to say, I love this book and all it offers. 

Anna Mowat has a background in psychology and works across many national projects which support children's wellbeing. She works under her business name Real Collective.

Disclaimer: Please note these reviews are not intended as endorsements or recommendations from the Mental Health Foundation. This feature introduces resources that may be useful for individuals with an interest in mental health and wellbeing topics.

Rāhina / Monday

Take Notice | Me Aro Tonu

A fresh week, blank slate and a new beginning. Let's start the week by setting purpose and intention, today is the day to take stock – how have you been feeling recently, are there any events or stresses that you need to sit with and unpack? 

Developing the ability to be fully present and conscious without being overly reactive or overwhelmed is no easy feat, it takes practice to achieve the delicate balance of awareness. When we take notice or practice mindfulness, we’re creating space for ourselves—space to think, space to breathe, space between ourselves and our reactions.  

Use today as a reminder to pay more attention to the present moment, to our thoughts and feelings, and to the world around us. At the end of the week, you can reflect on how you felt at the start of the week, and how putting each of the Five Ways into practice has helped to boost your mental health.

A few ideas to help you take notice:

Rātū / Tuesday

Give | Tukua

Today is all about kindness. When we give selflessly to others, whether through our time, resources, or support, we create a positive ripple effect that extends beyond the people we engage with. Carrying out acts of kindness boosts our happiness, life satisfaction, and overall wellbeing. When we help others, it gives us purpose and a sense of belonging – it’s a win/win!  

Think about how you might be able to brighten the day of someone you care about, or even a complete stranger. A small gesture might mean the world to someone else, and you’ll get a bit of a boost, too!

A few ideas to help you give:

Rāapa / Wednesday

Be Active | Me Kori Tonu 

We're nearly over the midweek hump and are inching closer to the weekend. Today is the perfect opportunity to give yourself a refreshing boost by engaging in some physical activity. Wi tēnei rangi to get the blood flowing through your tinana/body?   

Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, the "feel-good" hormones, which can uplift your mood and increase feelings of happiness. It reduces stress and anxiety levels, promotes relaxation and enhances overall mental resilience. It can even sharpen our thinking and boost our creativity. 

Being active doesn’t always mean high-intensity cardio workouts, there are lots of ways you can move your tinana to uplift your mood, reduce stress, and feel a sense of achievement. Choose to do something that is purely for feeling good or having fun, and dedicate it to your wellbeing.

A few ideas hei āwhina/to help you be active:

Rāpare / Thursday

Connect | Me Whakawhanaunga

It’s nearly Friday – why not tap into those weekend vibes early, and carve out some time for some meaningful connection? Use today as a sign to arrange that outing or gathering with friends, participate in social events that you might be finding an excuse to skip, or seek out opportunities for shared experiences that deepen your connections.  

Connect refers to making social connections, or whakawhanaungatanga. A sense of feeling connected, loved or belonging with others is strongly associated with better wellbeing and other health outcomes by providing a sense of meaning, safety, support and purpose.  

A few ideas to help you connect:

Rāmere / Friday

Keep Learning | Me Ako Tonu

It might be the last day of MHAW, but today’s the day to reflect on what you’ve learnt throughout the week and implement those tools into the weekend and weeks beyond. 

Evidence suggests that learning or trying new things creates a sense of achievement, competence and stimulates engagement with the world around us. There are lots of ways that you can Keep Learning today and every day. 

A few ideas to help you keep learning: