People feel many different feelings during a day. Feelings happen when something happens around us. They also happen when we remember something. Feelings can be small or big. They come and go. They usually do not last longer than an hour. Feelings like happy, sad, angry and afraid are normal. Everybody has feelings, and all feelings are okay. No feeling is simply good or bad.

Emotions have helped people survive. Fear helps keep people safe. It gets the body ready to get away from danger. Feelings help the body get ready to act. When you are scared, your body releases a hormone that makes your heart beat faster.

People show their feelings with their faces and bodies. A happy person often smiles. People sometimes cry when they feel sad. Babies cry to tell people what they need. Around two months old, a baby starts to smile to connect with other people. Your heart can beat faster when you are scared or angry. When you feel afraid, your breathing can speed up. In the fight-or-flight response, the body gets ready to face danger or run from it.

Feelings happen in the brain and the body. The prefrontal cortex is at the front of the brain. It is like a control center that helps guide our actions and helps people pause, think and choose what to do.

There are ways to calm down. Deep breathing is one. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Pretending to smell a flower and blow out a candle helps children take slow breaths. Feeling listened to and understood can help a person calm down too.

Knowing what you are feeling helps people build better relationships. Supporting children's emotions helps them feel closer to caring adults. With practice, people get better at knowing what they are feeling.

Words to know

• emotions: feelings
• survive: stay alive
• prefrontal: front brain
• relationships: ties between people
• pause: stop briefly

The short version

Feelings happen in the brain and the body. Emotions have helped people survive. Fear, for example, helps keep people safe by getting the body ready to get away from danger. Feelings are normal, and no feeling is simply good or bad.

Quick facts

• Feelings happen in the brain and the body.
• Feelings usually do not last longer than an hour.
• Emotions have helped people survive.
• In the fight-or-flight response, the body gets ready to face danger or run from it.
• Deep breathing is a way to calm down.