Let’s talk about feeling joy. Elana shares a memory of finding joy in going on trips and spending time with family, and Dr. Lockhart and Nakita discuss tools for finding happiness in our everyday life so we can experience more joy.
Let’s talk about feeling Joy. Elana shares a memory of finding joy in going on trips and spending time with family, and Dr. Lockhart and Nakita discuss tools for finding happiness in our everyday life so we can experience more joy.
You can find out more about Dr. Lockhart and her practice online at anewdaysa.com and on Instagram at @dr.annlouise.lockhart.
You can find Nakita’s book, A Kids Book About Emotions and other kids' books about important topics at akidsco.com
If there’s an emotion you want to share for us to explore, send us a note at listen@akidspodcastabout.com. Check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
Everyday Feels: A Kids Podcast About Emotions
S1 EP10 Elana (Joy)
[INTRODUCTION]
Nakita: Hi, I'm Nakita Simpson.
Ann-Louise: And I'm Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart.
Nakita: I wrote a kid's book called A Kids Book About Emotions.
Ann-Louise: and I help kids and grownups work through their emotions.
Nakita: And now we're making a podcast about them.
Ann-Louise: This is Everyday Feels, a podcast about emotions for kids and their grownups.
Nakita: This podcast is better together. Listen with a grownup, with a family member, with the class or with a friend. How are you feeling today, Dr. Lockhart?
Ann-Louise: I'm feeling excited today, because my daughter is playing in her first concert. I’m feeling really proud of her for learning to play her instrument so well. Really, really proud of her. So how about you Nakita? How are you feeling today?
Nakita: Oh, that’s so exciting. Um, honestly I'm feeling pretty happy, because we get to talk about one of my favorite emotions today.
Ann-Louise: Thanks for sharing. I love talking about certain emotions more than others as well too.
Nakita: Oh, you’re welcome, Dr. Lockhart. Thank you for that too. Thinking about this episode, do you find it easy or hard to find things to be happy about every day?
Ann-Louise: You know, I actually find it pretty easy. I’m generally a pretty happy and joyful person. And I tend to see the good things, people, and experiences..even movies. Like, I’ll be watching a really bad movie and continue to watch it, because it might get better. I would say I’m hopeful and optimistic.
Nakita: Oh, well, let's see if we can find more ways to be optimistic and understand a little bit more about what it means to find happiness in the big and little things. Are you ready?
[SHARING THE MEMORY]
Nakita: I think it's time we heard from Elena, from Pasadena, California, who has so much to share about the things that make her happy.
Elena is 8 years old. Let's listen together.
Elana: Hi, my name’s Elana. I’m 8 years old, and I live in Pasadena, California.
Grownup: Hi, Elana. Can you tell me who is in your family?
Elana: David, Christian, my mom, and my dad.
Grownup: That’s awesome! Thank you for sharing. Now, we’re going to talk about feelings. Do you know what feelings are?
Elana: Emotions that you feel.
Grownup: Emotions that you feel. Now, can you think of one emotion that you want to talk about today?
Elana: Happiness.
Grownup: Happiness! That’s a great emotion. Um, can you tell me what makes you feel happiness?
Elana: Uh, when I get to go somewhere.
Grownup: Okay, what else?
Elana: When I hang out with my family.
Grownup: When you hang out with your family. That’s great! And, what are some other experiences that you like to do with your family that makes you happy?
Elana: Um, go on trips.
Grownup: That’s amazing! Alright, thanks for sharing.
Elana: Bye! Thank you!
Ann-Louise: This is Everyday Feels. Thanks for sharing your story, Elena. I think this was such a fabulous story to kind of really talk about this particular topic and this particular motion that we're talking about today.
Nakita: I agree, Dr. Lockhart. I can’t wait to talk more about it. But first, listeners, this feels like the perfect time to take a short break. Let’s move our heads from side to side and wiggle our toes a bit. And when we come back, we'll talk more about joy and happiness. We'll even give you listeners a chance to share that memory and listen as others around you share their memories too.
We'll continue after the short break.
[EXPLORING THE EMOTION]
Nakita: Welcome back to Everyday Feels. We just listened to Elena who shared with us all of the things in her life that make her feel happy, and how great of an emotion it is.
Ann-Louise: That was a really great story. Thanks for sharing, Elena. I think it’s so important to remember or to know if you’re hearing this for the first time, that our feelings are really our friends, but we tend to be very good friends with joy and happiness. Most of us really liked that one.
Nakita: I’m glad you brought that up Dr. Lockhart. I always love talking about happiness and things that make me very happy. Now, are there other words that better describe when you feel very happy?
Ann-Louise: That's a great question. Nakita. Now there are definitely words we can use to describe feeling very happy. These are called synonyms. These include words such as joy, excitement, contentment, optimistic, hopeful, proud, capable, and grateful.
Nakita: I didn’t realize there were so many ways to describe feeling very happy, my favorite word for sure is joy.
Ann-Louise: I love that word too. I especially love contentment, because it means to feel joyful regardless of my circumstances. Even when things aren’t going my way, contentment helps me to look forward to when they are.
Nakita: Ah, that actually is a really great word. I might have a new favorite too. Thank you so much for sharing that, Dr. Lockhart. Learning how to identify happiness in my life every day is such a special and helpful skill.
I remember when I was frustrated with a day filled with one bad thing after another, I did some meditation to try to calm down and I had to ground myself and find one thing to try to cheer me up. Which was having a really yummy breakfast. I still use that memory to remember that I can find small or big things every day to be happy about. Even when my days feel really hard.
Ann-Louise: You and I both seem to find joy in good food. I love that! I find excitement in watching a good action or superhero movie, meeting amazing people, and a super cute hairstyle.
I remember when I tried crochet braids the first time and I was like, where has this hairstyle been all my life?! I was full of joy and excitement!
Nakita: I love that excitement AND that hairstyle on you, Dr. Lockhart. You know what I think we should do? Why don't we give everyone listening the opportunity to share a memory with whomever they may be listening with. Maybe that's a teacher or a friend, a cousin, or a sibling, a parent, or a grownup you trust. And if you're listening by yourself, you can say the memory out loud or just think it to yourself.
Ann-Louise: I think that's a great idea. So, think about a time you experienced joy. Share that memory. Remember all the things that made you so happy. You can write it down, play it out, draw and just share it with your grownup.
And if you're a grown up and listening with your kid, take this time to listen, give them the space to share and then thank them for sharing their story.
There’s no need to provide advice. Just listen for now. We'll give you more specific tools in a bit.
Nakita: Listeners, it’s that time. Here's where you can pause the podcast and share your memory with whomever you're listening with. Take as much time as you need. Dr. Lockhart, and I will be waiting right here for you when you're ready to come back.
[REFLECTION BREAK]
Ann-Louise: Welcome back to Everyday feels. We hope you had the opportunity to share by yourself or with your grownup about a time you felt joy.
Nakita: Oh, Dr. Lockhart, before we wrap up, are there any tools on finding happiness in our everyday life so we can experience more joy?
Ann-Louise: Absolutely Nakita. I have a quick reminder and two really helpful tips.
Always remember your feelings are not your enemy, your feelings give you messages about other people and the world around you. So just embrace those feelings. Even the icky or uncomfortable ones. I know it’s hard, but this is an important part of the process.
First, keep a journal and write down 1 or 2 sentences about one thing you were grateful for that day. If you don’t like to write, you can even record it on a video. That way, when you have days that weren’t all that great, you can always look back and remember that not every day is crummy. There are good days too.
Second, share that joy with a friend, family member, or a teacher. There are so many people who are struggling. Sharing a smile, a funny story, a ‘thank you’, or a kind note can go a long way in spreading that joy. You can even share this episode with someone who might need it.
[WRAP-UP]
Nakita: Once again, thank you Elena from Pasadena, California, for sharing your happy memories with all of us. We're so glad you had so many happy things to share! And thank you, Dr. Lockhart, for letting us remember and understand that joy is contagious, and we can find ways to share it every day.
Ann-Louise: Of course, Nakita. So many adults grew up not talking about feelings and it’s time for us to change that story. I’m so glad you listeners are here with us. If you want professional help and need to talk to someone about how you feel. You can find a therapist online by typing “child psychologist near me.” You can look up all the different professionals in your area.
That's a great place to start.
Nakita: Listeners, this is our final episode of Everyday Feels for this season. We’ve loved getting to share these memories from listeners with all of you and we are so grateful for the time we’ve had together with you over these episodes.
Ann-Louise: We invite you to return to past episodes whenever you feel you need to. That’s what they’re there for. And we’ll be there for you when you return as well.
Nakita: And remember, you are the expert on your emotions.
Ann-Louise: Emotions are really your friend.
Nakita: And you're always allowed to feel what you feel.
Ann-Louise: Let's continue this journey together.
[CLOSING]
Nakita: Thanks for joining us today. You can find out more about Dr. Lockhart and her practice online at anewdaysa.com and on Instagram at @dr.annlouise.lockhart. You can find my book, A Kids Book About Emotions and other kids' books about important topics at akidsco.com
Ann-Louise: Everyday Feels is written by Nakita Simpson and Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart. Our show is edited and produced by Ari Mathae with help from Matthew Winner. Sound design is by Chad Michael Snavely and the team at Sound On Studios. Our executive producer is Jelani Memory. And this show was brought to you by A Kids Podcast About.
If there’s an emotion you want to share for us to explore, send us a note at listen@akidspodcastabout.com. And check out other podcasts made for kids just like you by visiting akidsco.com.
Nakita: Until next season, y’all.
Ann-Louise: Bye for now.