Pausing to Notice from Walden Wise

Sometimes big feelings can feel like too much. This activity helps us slow down and gently pay attention to what we’re feeling. When we pause and notice without trying to change anything, emotions often shift on their own. It’s like giving them space to breathe.

Goal

Develop emotional awareness by practicing how to pause, notice, and observe emotions without judgment—helping participants build inner calm, increase self- regulation, and create space for emotional shifts.

Resources

In Person:
- Make a space on the wall for a graph with two axes intersecting in the middle (like a + sign). Label the left-hand end UNPLEASANT and the right-hand end PLEASANT. Label the top INTENSE and the bottom MILD.
- Provide post-its or papers+tape for people to add words
Online:
- Make the + graph on a white board (such as Jamboard) or an online doc where people can write
Place a few of your own example words on the graph
Activity Instruction Sheet (optional) click to download

Instructions

You don’t have to wait for a big emotion to try this activity. Practicing when you feel calm can make it easier to use during harder times.

Sit or stand still. Close your eyes if it feels safe. Take a quiet moment to notice what’s going on inside your body.
What are you feeling? Try to name the emotion. You don’t need to fix it or explain it—just notice and name it.
What does this feeling look like in your imagination?
o What color is it?
o What shape is it?
o What sound does it make, if any?
Now imagine placing that feeling on a soft cloud in the sky. Watch the cloud float by. You don’t need to do anything—just gently watch it.
As you watch the cloud, does anything change? Does the feeling get lighter or take a new shape?
If another emotion shows up, notice that one too. You can give it its own cloud.
When you’re ready, return your attention to your body. Take a nice, slow breath in and out.