Four corners, four emotions

Emotional awareness

Summary

In this activity participants set out on a journey exploring how they are influenced by the emotions of anger, fear, sadness and happiness and how they might be able to handle them. They will also discuss how these are related to racism and the fight against it.

Materials

Four pillows; posters; markers; music.

Procedure

1. Divide the room into four spaces where each space represents one emotion (anger, fear, sadness and happiness). At each corner stick a poster with the name of the emotion. 2. Invite participants to a journey in their emotions. At first, ask them to relax in silence, standing or sitting in a circle in the middle of the room.

They will close their eyes, take deep breaths, trying to connect with themselves. When you feel the group is ready, start the journey, asking participants to stand up and to follow you in silence. 3. The first emotion they will visit is FEAR: ask them to focus on their fears, here and now, and to think about where they come from. 4. When they are done, again in silence, take them to the second corner/ emotion: ANGER. Ask them to reflect what makes them feel angry and invite them to try to get rid of it, maybe by screaming, with body movement or any other way they consider suitable. 5. After that, they will move, in silence, to the third corner/emotion:

SADNESS. Ask them to remember situations in which they were sad and why. 6. Once everyone is ready, ask them to move to the last corner/emotion: HAPPINESS. Tell them to think about the things that make them feel happy and smile during their life: people that made/make them happy; the events that made them joyful. At this stage you can play some happy music that is suitable for dancing. Let them go free and follow the rhythm, let them enjoy.

7. After the entire journey, ask participant to choose one of the four emotions. Then provide each participant with a poster and markers.

They are supposed to draw a human silhouette and write: in the head, the thoughts they have in relation to the chosen emotion; in the chest, how they felt; in the hands, the tools they have to manage this emotion; and in the feet, the support they can count on (people, music, books, etc.). 8. Once they have finished their silhouettes, ask them to share and discuss them in pairs or small groups.

Debriefing questions

• How do you feel? • What were the challenges faced to recall your emotions and the situations connected to them? What emotions were easier and what were more difficult and why? • What are the links between emotions and everyday life? • What tools do we have to understand our emotions and to cope with them? • What kind of support would we like to have? • What are the emotions that accompany acts of racism and invisible?

Why, in your opinion? • Is it important to be aware and in control of our emotions when we want to counter racism? If so, why? How can we do that? To support your participants in expressing their emotions, you may introduce them to the six basic emotions as defined by Paul Eckman.