Women

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CBI Session for Tuesday December 9, 2025

Module 4 Session 1

Getting to Green:

Calming Yourself Down

Do you ever have a hard time calming yourself down?

Why do you think it's so hard?

It turns out, there's a biological reason for this. When we get really upset, our brains can get hijacked by our amygdala - the part of our brain that causes us to react without thinking - which tells us to go into "fight or flight" mode.

This is super helpful when our lives are in danger; but if there is no real immediate threat to our safety, we sometimes end up doing things we later regret.

Today we'll look at a tool that can help us be more aware of our feelings so that we can stay more in control of our reactions:

The Feelings Thermometer.

Feelings Thermometer - Revised.docx

Let's break this down a little more...

Blue Zone

At the bottom of the thermometer is the “blue zone” which represents times that we feel:

bored
tired
sick
lacking in energy

We may not be upset, but we may still find it hard to be present and engaged in a given situation.

Green Zone

When we are in the “green zone” we are feeling :

calm
relaxed
comfortable
not bothered

We are in complete control of our actions and can think clearly to make good decisions.

The green zone is where we are at our best, in both how we feel and act.

Yellow Zone

When we are in the “yellow zone” we may feel:

a little anxious
slightly irritable
somewhat bothered

However, we are still very much in control of our actions.

In this zone, it is important to pay attention to what is triggering us so that we can intervene before it escalates.

Orange Zone

If our distress or discomfort increases, we may enter the “orange zone”. In this zone we begin to:

feel more agitated
be short with people
lose control of our actions
have difficulty thinking clearly

We begin automatically reacting to situations instead of thinking about how we want to respond.

It is important to begin to take steps to calm ourselves down when we find ourselves in the orange zone, otherwise we will end up in the...

Red Zone

At the top of the thermometer is the “red zone.” When we are in the “red zone” we:

feel extremely angry, upset or afraid
may yell, hit others, or run away from a situation
are unable to think straight or see different perspectives

When we are in the red, our “alarm” system has taken over our brain and we have little control over our actions.

It is very hard to calm ourselves down once we enter the red zone, and usually takes TIME and SPACE away from the situation to do so.

The feelings thermometer is a simple tool that you can teach your family, including your children, as a way to communicate with each other about how you are feeling.

For example, saying "This conversation is putting me in the orange zone" can let someone know that you are becoming upset. This may give you a chance to pause and calm yourself down before the situation escalates, putting you in the red zone and saying or doing something you might later regret.

This quick video demonstrates how to talk to your family about the feelings thermometer.

It is normal to move from zone to zone throughout our day. However, green is where we have the most control, and our ability to control our actions decreases the further we move away from green. That's why it is important to pay attention to where we are on the feelings thermometer so that we can stay in control.

Check out this poem written by a Chicago CRED participant about the Feelings Thermometer:

When I'm bored, tired, or sick

A quick feelings check

Body sensations too

Lets me know that I'm in the BLUE

When I'm calm, relaxed, and not being mean

I know today was a good day and I'm GREEN

My thoughts and feelings on point

I am in control with no conflict, no wants

My temperature rises into YELLOW

I'm a little anxious, bothered

Yet, still kinda cool, thoughts clear

Better play some music or get outta here

All of a sudden I feel ORANGE

Agitated, short tempered and growing little horns

Short with people even when they are tall

Loud talk, hands sweat, eyes big, I'm losing control

Oh no, calm, gone, RED like fire

Upset, angry, afraid, war my only desire

Out of control, thoughts unclear

Can't run or get out of here

What can I do?

Deep breathing, regulate myself

Weigh pros and cons, travel back to GREEN by

Writing this piece...

Now that you've reviewed the lesson on the The Feelings Thermometer, take a few minutes to reflect on your own experience and answer the following questions.

Be sure to read the instructions for each question carefully before answering!

Don't forget to complete all sections and click submit at the end to get credit for Virtual CBI!

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