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Expressions family pack

Contains 150 beautiful, gloss, high quality, large format cards (75 expressions, 75 descriptive words) and an easy to use comprehensive instruction booklet.

Expressions professional pack

Contains 300 beautiful, gloss, high quality, large format cards (150 expressions, 150 descriptive words) and a comprehensive instruction booklet.

Each set has been tailored to the needs of the user, and both instruction booklets are full of great ideas to assist in the successful integration of the cards into your practise, or your family’s games repertoire.

Why use the packs?

When we can identify our feelings, recognise emotions in others and effectively manage that experience, we can be happier, healthier and more content individuals.

The identification of our feelings and recognition that we have self-talk, or mental scripts, that contribute to the creation of feelings becomes building blocks for good mental health.

The Expressions games have all been created to assist in the development of emotional literacy, emotional language development and to encourage the development of a positive attribution style.

We hope you will have fun and enjoy the experience of Expressions

"The basis of optimism does not lie in positive phrases or images of victory, but in the way you think about causes"

Martin Seligman

Key concept

The connection between self-talk and feelings

“Things that happen (events) do not have control over our feelings. It is our self-talk that controls the way that we feel”

Events, self-talk & feelings

Example

Event:

“I had to load the dishwasher”

Self-talk:

“No-one else ever does anything to help but me”

Feeling:

“Angry, hard done by, left out”

Remember

• Just because we have self-talk does not make what we say true!
• There is a direct link between our self-talk and our feelings.

Example

Event: You suggest going in a family outing but no-one else wants to go

Self-talk

Feeling

Different self-talk leads to different feelings

1. Negative self-talk leads to negative feelings (sad, angry, hurt, hopeless etc.)
2. Positive self-talk leads to positive feelings (OK, happy, hopeful etc.)

1. Optimism means thinking in a way that is positive, realistic and hopeful.
2. Pessimism means thinking in a way that is negative, looks for the worst and gives you no hope.

“Optimism has an important place in some, though not all, reals of your life. It is not a panacea. But it can protect you against depression; it can raise your level of achievement; it can enhance your physical well-being; it is far more pleasant mental state to be in.”

Martin Seligman

What about the words?

Glossary

The glossary has been created to assist in playing some of the games or checking on meanings in a general way – as the meaning of words may relate to the experience of feelings.

Example

If you would like to set up a memory grid it may be useful to know:

• That there is no synonym or antonym in the pack for the word “clever”  therefore this not a word you should use.
• Should you choose the word “calm,” both a synonym - “peaceful”- and an antonym -“restless”- exist within the pack.

To give a single synonym for any word is fraught with danger as most have many synonyms, each of which is subtle variation on the core word.

Example

“Angry”, “cross” and "frustrated” are all synonyms for each other. They are all similar to each other, yet they all reflect a varying intensity of emotion, a varying understanding of the emotion and the roots of the feeling concerned.

The picture cards to represent these emotions would also vary, depending upon the perception of the person choosing the cards.

Example

• Do you agree with the cards chosen below for these emotions?
• Which cards would you have chosen?

There are many other synonyms for angry, cross and frustrated. You may find it useful to look to some of the synonyms that exist and explore the gradient of emotions able to be expressed with them.

Example

We may become frustrated or thwarted in our attempts and aggravated as each attempt increases our burden. As our sensitivities are increased, we are cross as we become at odds with that which is seeming to block our way. We become angry when we can no longer contain our displeasure and incensed when we are unable to deal with our anger.

We have made a very simple list of the words contained in the pack, supplied a meaning as it may relate to the use of this pack and given one example of both a synonym and antonym.

Words that have been underlined in the Synonym or Antonym column are not contained in the pack. They are listed only to provide information.

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