RELIEF DEFINITION:The alleviation or lightening of oppressive stressors PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: Covering the mouth with a hand Shaking the head and closing the eyes Gasping Trembling hands Reaching out to another for comfort Slumping posture A slow smile Using humor to lighten the moment Shaky laughter Sagging against a wall or person Pressing the palms to the eyes Asking for the good news to be repeated Wobbly legs Buckling knees Stumbling back a step Flopping back in a chair A gaping mouth Struggling to speak, to find the right words An unsteady walk Crying or calling out in release Asking redundant questions to assure that the moment is real Eyes going up, looking heavenward Letting out a huge breath Rocking back and forth Eyes shining, locked on the source of relief A slight moan Lips parting Showing kinship with the people involved (hugging, reaching for their hands, etc.) Pressing one’s hands to the stomach A palm pressed to the heart A bowed head Starting to fall, then catching oneself Closed eyes and compulsive nodding Letting the head fall back Uttering a soft curse or thanking God Making the sign of the cross (if one is religious) INTERNAL SENSATIONS: Dry mouth Weak muscles An unexpected release of all tension Tears welling up behind the eyelids A sudden lightness or giddiness MENTAL RESPONSES: Wanting to be held A desire to be still and let the relief sink in Gratitude Jumbled thoughts An inability to formulate an appropriate verbal response Postponement of residual loss or pain until a later time ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: Breaking down and crying Exuberant responses (jumping up and down, shouting, running, hysterical crying, etc.) Collapsing An expanding feeling in the chest Light-headedness A thick throat SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: A deliberately quiet exhale Briefly closing the eyes Drawing a deep breath through the nose Biting the lips to keep from smiling Swallowing and nodding Narrowed eyes (when it’s necessary to focus on something besides the source of relief) Not thinking about it; putting it off to savor later Inattentiveness MAY ESCALATE TO:Happiness,Excitement,Gratitude MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Uncertainty,Confusion,Worry ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Beam, cave, clutch, collapse crumble, crumple, droop, exhale faint, fall, laugh, shake sink, slump, smile, sob squeal, thank, tremble, weaken WRITER’S TIP:When a character is hiding an emotion, the cues are not as noticeable. In this circumstance, it’s often more effective to show the emotion through change—altering a speech pattern, falling back on habits, posture shifts, etc.