May POWerful Words – COMPOSURE – Week 1
What does it mean to stay calm under pressure (i.e. calm brain/calm body when stressed, angry, scared)? What does it mean to have a calm body (i.e. body is still & relaxed)? What does a stressed/upset body look like? Can you read how others feel by looking at body language? Yes! Show me…happy body! Angry body! Scared body. Calm body! When we have a calm body, our brain can be calmer too. What does it mean to have a calm brain (i.e. think clearly)? There is a part of your brain called the “cortex” that does your logical thinking. Let’s call it “The Thinker.” Another part of your brain is in charge of your emotions- it’s called the “amygdala.” We’ll call it “The Caveman” since cave-people used this vital part of the brain to keep them safe when threatened by animals like tigers. When the Caveman part of the brain is threatened it tells us “fight!” “run!” or “hide!” even though we don’t have tigers threatening us. So we need to USE The Thinker and CALM the Caveman. When, in your life, is it important to stay calm under pressure? Composure helps us to say/do the right things.
If you have time: When your body feels crazed, what do you do to calm it down? What about your brain?