PSYCHOLOGICAL

FIRST AID

Module 1
VALIDATING
FEELINGS AND
NORMALIZING
REACTIONS
Module 1
VALIDATING FEELINGS AND NORMALIZING
REACTIONS

MODULE OBJECTIVES

• Identify feelings/reactions related to the

pandemic/any form of disaster

• Accept that all feelings and reactions are

normal and valid
 Materials / Handouts

• Small Whiteboard and marker/bond paper

and marker
• Sample Graph of Emotions
• Common Reactions of Students to Stressful
Events
• Handout: When Terrible Things Happen
(attached at the end of this module)
Introduction
Activity:
Graphing Feelings
So I want to ask, KAMUSTA KAYO? This is a strange
crisis situation that we are all experiencing, don’t you
agree? So how are you? Are you okay, not okay? Were
you not okay three months ago but okay now? Were you
okay at the start but okay now? Can I ask you to identify
about 5 feelings or emotions that you have experienced
during the past few months/weeks or days? I will give
you time to think about it.
Activity:
Graphing Feelings
1. Using the sheet of paper, can you create a
graph or a pie chart of feelings/emotions
that you have or may have had during all
the crisis situations that you experienced?
2. On the x-axis, write down each of the
feelings/emotions. On the y-axis, write
the numbers 25, 50, 75 and 100 to
represent the percentage of time that you
were feeling that way.
3. Rate each emotion/feeling based on how
much or how often you would feel that
way over the past few
months/weeks/days. I will give you 5
minutes to do this activity.
 What
feelings did
you
identify?
Analysis
• What were the feelings that were mentioned a lot?

• What did you notice about your reactions to

the different situations?
• Are these normal reactions to everything that
you experienced?
• I would like to show you this table of common
reactions of students to stressful events. Please
read those and tell me what you realize.
 Common Reactions of Students to Stressful Events

• feel a strong responsibility to the family.

• feel anxious brought about by uncertainty of
the future.
• feel intense or prolonged grief for not being
able to wake.
• may become self-absorbed and feel self-pity.
• may experience changes in their relationships
with other people.
 Common Reactions of Students to Stressful Events

• may also start taking risks, engage in self-destructive

behavior, have avoidant behavior, and become aggressive.
• may experience major shifts in their view of the world
accompanied by a sense of hopelessness about the present
and the future.
• may become defiant of authorities and parents while they
start relying on peers for socializing through social media.
• may feel guilty and anxious having been separated from
their loved ones due to lockdown.
It’s good that you realized
that these are normal
reactions as of this time.
I want you to realize that it
is okay not to feel okay.
Abstraction
“When Terrible Things Happen”
..from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).
• Please read it because it can help you better identify your
reactions and it also gives you a list of behaviors that can help
you cope and behaviors that you should try to avoid.

• Highlight the feelings that are similar to those that were

mentioned.

As a teacher, your major role now is to look for risk signs in the
students. Look at the table on common reactions to stressful events
found on the next page.
Module I Handout:
Application
• Today we learned that our reactions to
the pandemic, to any stressful
event/disaster are normal and valid.

• How can you apply this learning to your

life especially because the pandemic is
not yet over?
Butterfly
Hug