Children and adults often experience more than one feeling at the same time. A student might feel excited to join a new class while also feeling worried. A parent might feel grateful for their child while also feeling exhausted. Both experiences sit side by side. Many people grow up believing only one feeling is allowed at a time. This belief often leads to confusion, shame, or emotional shutdown.
The Heart Rooms activity offers a simple visual structure to normalise layered emotions. The heart becomes a house with different rooms. Every feeling has a place. None need to be removed or replaced. When emotions receive space instead of judgment, regulation and communication improve.
This approach supports shadow teachers, educators, parents, therapists, and neurodiverse learners who benefit from slow, concrete steps and visual tools.
Why “Big Feelings” Often Arrive Together
Emotions do not work in a single line. Life experiences trigger mixed responses. Examples include:
- A child winning an award while missing a friend
- A teen feeling proud of independence while feeling scared inside
- An adult feeling both love and frustration in a relationship
- A teacher feeling fulfilled by purpose while feeling overwhelmed
Recognising multiple feelings at once reduces internal conflict. Instead of asking “Which emotion is correct,” the frame shifts to “All these emotions exist together.”
This shift supports:
- Self-awareness
- Emotional literacy
- Co-regulation
- Compassion for self and others
It also supports people who need structure, routine, and clarity.
The Heart Rooms Story
The story shared in your Short introduces the idea gently. A heart once felt confused. One moment it felt calm. Another moment it felt angry. On other days it felt heavy with sadness. The heart believed something was wrong.
Then, a new understanding emerged. The heart was not broken. It was a house. Each feeling had its own room. Every room belonged there. No emotion needed to push another out.
This simple reframing reduces emotional pressure. Emotions exist, they pass through, and none define the whole person.
The Expressive Arts Activity: Drawing Your Heart House
This activity works for classrooms, therapy spaces, and homes. It requires minimal materials.
Materials
- A sheet of paper or a notebook page
- A pen or marker
- Optional colouring pens or pencils
Steps
- Draw a large heart outline.
Keep it simple and open. - Divide the heart into sections.
Draw lines or small doors like rooms inside a house. - Label each room with one feeling.
Examples:- Happy
- Angry
- Sad
- Calm
- Worried
- Proud
- Tired
- Pause and notice.
Invite the child or adult to describe each room.
Ask supportive prompts such as:- “Which room feels loud today?”
- “Which room feels quiet today?”
- “Which room needs kindness today?”
- Give reassurance.
Share simple language:- “All these rooms belong here.”
- “None of your feelings cancel the others.”
- “More than one thing is true.”
This structured activity supports grounding and reflection without pressure.
Why This Approach Supports Neurodiverse Learners
Neurodiverse individuals often experience strong emotional energy and sensory input. Internal states feel layered. Traditional emotional education sometimes teaches one feeling per moment, which reduces accuracy.
Heart Rooms:
- Offer a visual anchor
- Reduce abstract thinking demands
- Normalize layered internal states
- Reduce shame around strong feelings
- Build language for needs and boundaries
Slow delivery and gentle pacing help build safety and trust.
Guidance for Adults Facilitating This Activity
Use clear and calm language
Short sentences prevent overwhelm. Avoid fast speech. Allow silence.
Validate without fixing
Emotions do not need correction. Presence helps more than advice.
Keep participation optional
Some children prefer observing first. This still supports learning.
Display the message consistently
Repeat simple affirming ideas:
- “Feelings come and go.”
- “You are more than one emotion.”
- “All your rooms matter.”
Consistency increases emotional confidence.
How Shadow Teachers and Educators Might Use Heart Rooms
- During regulation breaks
- As a check-in before lessons
- In social emotional learning sessions
- In small group support
- During transitions or timetable changes
A heart-rooms chart also supports collaborative language use across school staff.
How Parents Might Use Heart Rooms at Home
- Before bedtime conversations
- After a difficult day
- When a child struggles to explain feelings
- During parent-child reflection time
Parents benefit as well. Adults experience layered emotions daily. Heart Rooms reduce self-criticism and increase self-kindness.
Gentle Takeaway Message
A person holds many emotions across one life. None cancel the others. When we make space for each feeling without judgment, healing and regulation become easier. The heart does its job, carrying everything safely.
Try the Activity Yourself
Draw your own heart today. Give each room a label. Notice how it feels to acknowledge multiple truths at the same time. Consider sharing this practice with your students, children, clients, or friends.
You are welcome to share one “heart room” in the comments if you post this video on YouTube or Instagram. Saving the video for later helps you return to the practice when needed.
Who This Supports
- Shadow teachers
- Class teachers
- Special educators
- Counsellors
- Parents and caregivers
- Neurodiverse learners
- Adults building emotional literacy
Simple tools often create the strongest sense of safety.
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