Helping Kids (and Ourselves) Understand Big Feelings

Sensation tracking can be a gentle way to connect with ourselves — and it’s a practice that can support children too. Rather than starting with labels like “I’m sad” or “I’m anxious,” sensation tracking invites us to slow down and notice what’s happening in the body.

It isn’t about fixing or changing a feeling. It’s about noticing. Sadness might feel like heaviness in the chest. Anxiety might show up as fluttering in the stomach or tightness in the jaw. These are sensations — passing experiences — not definitions of who we are.

For children, sensation tracking can be an invitation to explore their inner world with curiosity. Instead of asking, “Why are you mad?” you might gently ask, “What does mad feel like in your body?” A child might say, “It feels like fire in my belly,” or “My feet want to stomp.” From there, you can wonder together what that sensation might need — space, movement, closeness, or rest.

Feelings Visit — They Don’t Define Us

Sensation tracking reminds us that feelings come and go. When we pause to notice how they show up in the body, we create a little space around them.

For adults, this might sound like:

• Where do I notice this feeling in my body right now?

• What does this sensation seem to need — movement, warmth, rest, or connection?

Shifting from “I am anxious” to “I’m noticing tightness in my chest” brings us back into the present moment. The feeling becomes something we can relate to, rather than something that takes over our sense of self.

For children, this plants early seeds of self-awareness and self-kindness. They learn that it’s okay to feel whatever they’re feeling — and that feelings can be met with care rather than fear.

When Sensation Tracking Feels Hard

If you or your child find it difficult to notice or name sensations, this isn’t a failure. Many people learn to disconnect from their bodies when staying present hasn’t felt safe or supported. This disconnection is a protective response — a wise way the body looks after itself.

For some children, interoception (the ability to sense what’s happening inside the body) is still developing or may need additional support. For others, tuning inward may simply feel confusing or overwhelming. Sensation tracking is never something to force.

Starting with Safety

Before inviting attention inward, begin with grounding and connection.

• Rest a hand on something solid — the floor, a chair, a table — and notice its texture or temperature.

• Look around and gently name what you see: colours, shapes, light.

• Take slow, natural breaths, noticing the air moving in and out.

These practices help orient the body to the present moment and create a sense of safety.

Using What’s Outside First

If inner sensations feel like too much, external sensations can be a softer place to start.

• Hold something comforting, like a smooth stone or a soft blanket, and notice how it feels in your hands.

• Try gentle movement — swaying, walking, or tapping feet — and notice the rhythm.

• Pay attention to everyday sensations, like water on your hands or warmth from the sun.

External sensations can act as a bridge back to the body in ways that feel more accessible.

Asking Gentle Questions

Sometimes broad, playful questions feel safer than direct ones.

• Does your body feel more tense or more relaxed right now?

• Is there a place that feels warm, cool, or neutral?

• If your body were like a balloon, would it feel heavy, light, or something else?

There are no right answers — only noticing.

It’s Okay to Feel Nothing

If you or a child can’t connect with sensations at all, that’s okay too. Noticing the absence of sensation is still part of awareness. You might say, “It’s okay if you don’t feel anything right now. There’s no rush. We’re just here together.”

Reconnection takes time. It happens through small moments of safety, presence, and choice — not through pressure.

Sensation tracking isn’t about making the body feel something specific. It’s about creating conditions where the body feels safe enough to be noticed. Wherever you or your child are in that process is enough.