Speechless, The Merits of Naming Your Emotions
by Denice B.
Ugh! It's beyond frustrating to experience high emotions and not be able to describe what I'm feeling. I would end up extremely discouraged and caught in waves of unnamed emotions. I'd end up discouraged beyond belief and stuck in unnamed emotional waves. I felt stupid - I mean, who does not know how they feel? Now I realize, it's more common than you think.
Factors like overwhelming and emotional dysregulation can greatly contribute to the inability to name your emotions. People often underestimate the effects it can have on us. For others, they lack an emotional vocabulary to reference.
No matter the reason you struggle, there are Emotional Health Tools to help you identify your emotions:
One key here is to practice identifying emotions when you are doing well and NOT overwhelmed. Think of it as getting to know yourself! Take a look at this wheel of emotions.
Emotional Intelligence: Learn the Wheel
The words we use most often to describe our innermost feelings are more general.
In the next ring, you'll notice the words are more descriptive and specific.
In the last ring, the words are even more definitive.
Emotion Regulation: Give the Wheel a Try Yourself
You'll first pick an emotion from the innermost ring that you are experiencing.
Then go to the second ring and find a word that best describes the more specific emotion you are experiencing.
Move on to the last ring choosing another suitable description for your specific emotions.
There are so many Wheel of Emotions on the Internet, so look around and see if something else feels like a good fit! *It's never a bad idea to have more than one resource.
For any tool to work well and reap benefits, you have to practice daily. Print it out, keep it on your phone, and set an alarm to practice every day. These practices will take just a few minutes and contribute to your well-being
What's the point? Simply put, the merit of labeling your emotions will give you a sense of control and help calm you. The logical and primitive parts of our brains do not function properly when something does not make sense. It just continues the chaos without labeling our emotions. Once we name our emotions, the logical and primitive parts of the brain will kick in, offering solace when we name our emotions. Amazing right!!
A strong emotional vocabulary and personal understanding of what your emotions feel like will ultimately give you more confidence. - That confidence will assure and elevate your emotional labeling and process. It brings some calm to the chaos. There's a lot of freedom when you are not stuck in the mud of emotions.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this is something that you can do for yourself and get back emotional stability.
Labeling emotions is a tool that was crucial in my own journey of recovery and well-being so I know, undoubtedly, it worked for me. You are worth every effort to get relief and gain a deeper understanding of your emotional processes.