We have been learning about the Mood Meter  in our school.  The Mood Meter is designed to help us learn to recognize emotions, in ourselves and others, with increasing subtlety and to develop strategies for regulating (or managing) those emotions. It provides us with a “language” to talk about our feelings.

How it works

The Mood Meter is a square divided into four quadrants — red, blue, green, and yellow — each representing a different set of feelings. Different feelings are grouped together on the Mood Meter based on their pleasantness and energy level.

▪ RED feelings: high in energy and low in pleasantness (e.g., angry, scared, and anxious);
▪ BLUE feelings: low in energy and low in pleasantness (e.g., sad, disappointed, and lonely);
▪ GREEN feelings: low in energy and high in pleasantness (e.g., calm, tranquil, and relaxed);
▪ YELLOW feelings: high in energy and high in pleasantness (e.g., happy, excited, and curious).

STOP! Looks like you could use a Meta-Moment!

The Meta-Moment is a tool that helps us press the pause button between a challenging feeling and our first impulse. “The Meta-Moment helps you prolong the space in time between when you are triggered and when you respond,” explains Robin Stern, psychologist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. Studies have shown that people who use the Meta-Moment tool on a regular basis report using more effective emotion regulation strategies and experience less stress, anxiety, and frustration.

The idea is that instead of reacting impulsively — and potentially making the situation worse — you use your breath to calm down, which allows your brain to think clearly about your options. But it’s not just about calming down or taking a break from the conflict at hand. The Meta-Moment also asks you to think about the person you aspire to be: your “best self.”