Nobody likes feeling guilty. It can leave us feeling sad, worried or disappointed in ourselves.
But guilt isn't there just to make us feel bad. It's actually your upstairs brain reminding you that something wasn't quite right and encouraging you to put things right again.
Sometimes that might mean saying sorry. Sometimes it means telling the truth or making a better choice next time. Whatever it is, guilt gives us the chance to learn from what happened instead of letting our mistake define us.
We can't change the past, but we can always choose what we do next. Every time we do, we strengthen our upstairs brain and become a little better at staying in control.
We've learnt that when we flip our lid, our emotional brain takes over. But once we calm down, our upstairs brain starts working again. That's when we can think clearly, understand how our actions have affected other people and decide what to do next.
Working with a partner, read each scenario and discuss what you think the upstairs brain would encourage the person to do. Once you've had time to talk, maybe your teacher can choose a few answers to be shared with the class.
Scenario 1
You shouted at your friend because you were already having a bad day.
What could you do to put things right?
Scenario 2
You argued with someone in class and said something you wish you hadn't.
What would your upstairs brain encourage you to do now?
Scenario 3
You lost your temper with someone at home.
How could you make things better?
Every time we stop, think and choose a better response, we help our upstairs brain become a little bit stronger.
