EmotionAll with Pauline Lawson

21/01/2026

No more glitter jars please!!!

They had their place and time, but on their own, they are no longer enough.

Children and young people today are far more sophisticated than we often assume.

They need and want to understand what is happening inside them.
The how and the why.
The neuroscience of emotions.
How the emotional and thinking parts of the brain work together.
How the nervous system shapes behaviour, stress and regulation.
So much complex stuff, but still they need to know.

A glitter jar might settle a moment in time, but it does not build understanding, empowerment, or lasting skills.

And this is why I created The B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Approach.

It keeps things clear and accessible while teaching those deeper concepts children and young people need to make sense of their inner world.
It helps them understand their responses and develop tools they can actually use in real life.

I use The B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Approach every day in my work with children and young people, and I train others to do the same.

If you want to move beyond surface level strategies and support young people in a more meaningful, informed way, get in touch - we can chat!!!

20/01/2026

More of our January zig-zag Journal’s coming through in this evenings B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Sessions!

What will they write / draw in their zig-zag journals?

Plans, thoughts, doodles, successes, goals … and more!

20/01/2026

Mindful colouring - Why do we do it?

Mindful colouring is not about making something pretty.
It is not a soft activity …. It is a regulation task!

When our kids colour with intention, something very practical happens in their brain.

From a neuroscience perspective, mindful colouring supports these things …

Engages the prefrontal cortex -
This is the part of the brain responsible for focus, planning and emotional regulation. When children concentrate on a simple, structured task, they practise staying present and organised.

Calms the nervous system -
Repetitive, predictable movements activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This is the body’s calm and safe mode, reducing stress hormones and helping the brain settle.

Supports sensory regulation -
The pressure of the pencil, the visual input of colour and the rhythm of movement give the brain clear sensory feedback. This helps children who feel overwhelmed or restless to organise their internal state.

Builds attention control -
Mindful colouring trains the brain to hold focus on one thing at a time. This is not passive. It is active attention practice, which supports learning, listening and emotional control.

Reduces intrusive and looping thoughts -
By anchoring attention in the present moment, the brain has less space to spiral into worries, rumination or emotional overload. This is proactive mental training, not distraction.

For kids this really matters.

We are not asking them to simply ‘calm down’!
We are giving their brain a way to learn how.

Our kids need to know this ☺️

Mindful colouring is a small but powerful tool that helps train calm, support focus, and emotional resilience over time.
Really anything mindful done regularly strengthens these neural pathways and supports children in managing those big feelings before they tip into overwhelm.

This is brain training, not just busy work that it is often labelled as!

And this is the ‘how and the why’ that I make a part of my class.

This evenings B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Class will kick start with some mindful colouring as we get focussed on the Breathing & Relaxing together.

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20/01/2026

Mindful colouring ready for this evening’s B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Sessions!!

We will be exploring the ‘how AND the why’ … of mindful colouring!

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20/01/2026

Let’s chat …. the mailing list Jan Sale is still on so plenty time to grab the special mailing list early bird prices and bonuses … let’s set up a call!!!

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Get ready for making 2026 your year … to invest in you 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Become a B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Coach or Guide!!

Set up your own side hustle or business … and I’ll be by your side to train, mentor, and guide you.

Or simply weave these emotional literacy skills into your existing work with children and young people.

Emotions drive our behaviours and actions … and we can support children, young people, families, and schools … to be emotionally literate!!!

Discovery calls are available NOW and and you’ll grab all the bonuses, early bird prices, and helpful payment plans.

All ready for the May 2026 training day - with those helpful payment plans in place to support!!

Let’s chat - 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

20/01/2026

Punished by Rewards … it is happening all around us!👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

Rewards don’t build motivation, actually they replace it.

When children learn that effort, kindness or learning only counts when there is a prize, the activity itself can totally loses meaning. Curiosity fades and Compliance is on the rise.

Rewards also create quiet harm that we don’t always consider -
• The pain of ‘just’ missing out
• Being hooked on external praise
• Giving up when rewards feel out of reach
• Carrying ‘failure’ labels into life
• Subjective systems and changing or hidden criteria.
• Basing worth on adult /others approval

Some children stop trying. Others become hooked on approval. Neither builds resilience.

What actually supports motivation is choice, connection, relevance and feedback that guides - rather than judges.

If we want confident, capable humans, managing behaviour with carrots really is a poor trade.

Children don’t need to earn their worth … and neither do adults, yet there are lots of reward system that show up in adulthood too!!!

19/01/2026

Regulation is not a place!!

Can we please stop asking kids to name a place they feel calm and calling that emotional regulation!!!!

Regulation is not about being calm.
It is about being able to manage emotions and actions to suit the situation you are in.

Calm is not the gold standard.

Excited is allowed, frustrated is allowed, as is angry.
Joy, disappointment, nervousness, determination, and overwhelm are all allowed too.

What matters is not what a kid feels, but what they do with it.

When we constantly teach kids that calm is the goal, we quietly teach something else.
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That other emotions are wrong.
That big feelings should be suppressed.
That being ‘regulated’ means being good, quiet, compliant, and easy to manage.

THIS is NOT regulation.
THIS is emotional shutdown with better branding.

Healthy regulation is learning how to work with emotions, not eliminate them.

It is all about understanding why emotions show up, what they are trying to do, and how to respond in ways that are safe, helpful, and respectful.

Some actions linked to strong emotions are allowed too.

Movement, raised voices, needing space, expressing anger without hurting.
And expressing frustration without shame.

This is why kids need the ‘how and the why’! ☺️

The neuroscience of emotions☑️
How the nervous system works☑️
Why the body reacts before the thinking brain catches up☑️
The skills that help kids ride emotional waves rather than bottle them up☑️

Too many programmes, apps, and books are still pushing compliance disguised as regulation.
These are rooted in an outdated ‘be seen and not heard’ mindset … even when the language sounds modern and caring.

The result …

Kids who hold emotions in.
Kids who believe strong feelings make them bad.
Kids who look calm on the outside and overwhelmed on the inside.

This really is not emotional health.

We do not need more tools that teach kids to suppress themselves.
We need education that builds real regulation skills.
Skills that allow kids to feel fully, respond wisely, and grow into emotionally capable humans.

Regulation is not about being calm.
It is about being human, with skills.

And kids really do deserve better than compliance dressed up as wellbeing.

19/01/2026

Calling all schools … if you are looking to build an emotionally literate school - improve confidence, resilience, regulation & behaviours … then get in touch. I have capacity this year. Big or small input!

19/01/2026

There’s a lot of conversation right now about neurodivergent diagnosis.
‘To label or not to label’.

Some people actively seek a diagnosis and share it openly. It brings clarity, validation, language, and sometimes access to support.
(Although that journey can be a long one right now)

Others have a diagnosis and choose to keep it private.
That choice can be about safety, energy, timing, or simply because it feels personal.
You do you!!!

Many people self identify. Sometimes after years of quietly noticing patterns. Sometimes after friends or family gently say ‘this sounds familiar’.

Some are undiagnosed but have a strong sense that neurodivergence may explain how they experience the world. The traits are there. They affect daily life.
Labelled or not, Diagnosed or not.

And the truth is this …
The choice to name it, share it, pursue diagnosis or not, or to keep it quietly held is yours.

There is no single right path. No moral high ground. No finish line where you suddenly become ‘officially valid’.

Whether this is your journey or your child’s, you are allowed to move at your own pace.
You are allowed to change your mind.
You are allowed to hold curiosity without certainty.

If you feel comfortable, you’re welcome to share where you are right now. Not as advice. Not as proof.
Just as lived experience.

Sometimes our stories don’t just help others. They help us understand ourselves a little more clearly too.

Let’s keep this space curious, respectful, and kind.

Share away 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

19/01/2026

Something we all have in common … emotions … we all have them!!
So it is worth learning how to work ‘with and through’ them in the most healthy & helpful ways!!

19/01/2026

There are complimentary discovery calls in the throughout January, February, March, if you are looking for emotions support for your child or teen.

We all have emotions and having the skills to work ‘with and through’ these in healthy and helpful ways is essential for keeping our mental health healthy.

Kids have so many things to navigate in life and emotions skills play a big part in doing this successfully.

We build self-awareness, confidence, neurosciences, regulation and mindful skills, building identity, social skills, and so much more … all through fun, active, and mindful approaches.

And parents and siblings can be a part of all of this too.

There are 1-to-1 packages and also family sessions. A bespoke plan built to fit you!!

Grab a complimentary discovery call - let’s chat and see if this is a good fit for you and yours!

And check out the website for more information too.

Family sessions (can be bolted on to a 1-to-1 package for a reduced cost) - https://www.paulinelawson.co.uk/coaching/family-coaching

Kids 1-to-1 - https://www.paulinelawson.co.uk/coaching/kids-coaching

Tweens/teens 1-to-1 - https://www.paulinelawson.co.uk/coaching/teen-coaching

Discovery call link here 👇🏻👇🏻

https://calendly.com/emotionall/30-min-initial-disc-call

AND RIGHT NOW FAMILY SESSIONS ARE PART OF THE JANUARY SALE, along with Power Hours and The B.R.E.A.T.H.E. Approach training!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

18/01/2026

Remember January is your thinking and planning month … go for it!!

January is for thinking and planning - really it is!

After the busyness of the festive season, our minds finally settle.
That is when we can think clearly, plan realistically, and set goals using our logical brain rather than that pure adrenaline.

The rush to set goals on January 1st goes against everything we know about effective goal setting, neuroscience, and the nervous system. When we are tired, overstimulated, and emotionally full, our brains are in survival mode, not building strategy mode.

So why do we keep doing it?

Habit, Marketing, Social pressure dressed up as motivation!

This is why I teach children and the adults around them that January is not a ‘do more’ month. It’s a ‘think better’ month.

Pause - reflect - and plan in a way that works with the brain, not against it.

When we honour how the nervous system actually works, goals become calmer, clearer, and far more achievable.
This is true for kids and just as true for the grown ups pretending they’re fine.

Let January be the month we think.
Action honesty can wait.
And it will be much smarter when it arrives.

Image - ai generated.