The truth is, we all felt like we were walking out of a good therapy session after seeing Inside Out 2 this summer. With a sigh and release of tension I found myself thinking, “Phew! I guess it really is OK to feel all the feels. It’s normal!” In this Disney Pixar sequel, Envy, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Anxiety, are the new emotions that join the already present Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger in Riley’s 13-year-old mind.
The movie’s narrative (with beautiful imagery) serves as a mirror to the inner emotional world, offering validation and a sense of understanding for all of us. For young adults, who are often grappling with the pressure to succeed and fit into societal expectations, seeing these emotions named and normalized on the big screen provides comfort and makes it ok to talk about them outloud. We all have a common experience to reference and a shared language to use from this movie.
Since the movie debuted in June 2024, we have seen these funky characters pop up everywhere, for all ages:
- Classroom affirmations for your feelings by counselor keri
- How ‘Inside Out’ and Its Sequel Changed Therapy The NY Times Article
- And even “How to communicate after watching Inside Out 2” Instagram reel
In the above New York Times article, author Melena Ryzik quotes Olivia Carter, a school counselor, in saying: ‘Inside Out arrived at a moment when educators and caregivers were paying more attention to what’s known as social-emotional learning, prioritizing connecting and communicating skills, and recognizing, not tamping down, children’s sensibilities as part of their self-regulation. It’s a huge generational shift in school.’
At Human Better EDU we champion this shift to prioritizing social-emotional learning. We are supporting teens, and parents and educators who support teens, in acting in asset based teaching; explicitly teaching teens (and younger!) these resources of resiliency so that when their emotions start to take over the control panel, they have the self-regulation to get back in the driver’s seat of their lives.
And this work is not just for kids. As evident by the $1 billion earned at the box office around the world, everyone can benefit from a good chat about their feelings.
Don’t forget to take advantage of our Summer Sale to build your own resilience and self-awareness – now through the end of Labor Day weekend get 6 coaching sessions for the price of 5. Details below. And if you haven’t seen the movie Inside Out 2, treat yourself.
