Speechless, The Merits of Naming Your Emotions
Discover how the simple act of naming your emotions can enhance self-awareness, improve emotional regulation, and support recovery, offering practical techniques to navigate daily challenges.
Speechless, The Merits of Naming Your Emotions
Date: May 16, 2024
Author: Denice B. (posted by Kurdt Allan)
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 felt stupid—like, who doesn’t know how they feel?
Now I realize—it’s more common than you think.
Emotional overwhelm and dysregulation can make it hard to name your emotions. Some people also struggle because they simply lack the vocabulary to describe what they feel. But no matter the reason, there are emotional health tools that can help.
Start When You’re Calm
One key strategy is to start practicing emotional identification when you’re not overwhelmed. Think of it as getting to know yourself. A great place to begin is with a visual aid like the Wheel of Emotions.
https://app.wheeloffeels.com/#/
Emotional Intelligence: Learn the Wheel
- The innermost ring contains the most general emotions.
- The middle ring becomes more specific and descriptive.
- The outer ring uses the most definitive and precise terms.
Emotion Regulation: Give the Wheel a Try
- Start by picking an emotion from the center ring that fits your mood.
- Move outward to refine your emotion using more specific terms.
- Use the outermost ring to pinpoint the most accurate description.
There are many versions of the emotion wheel online—explore a few and see which one works best for you. Having multiple tools is never a bad idea!
Practice Daily for Real Benefits
For any emotional tool to truly help, you need consistent practice:
- Print the wheel or save it to your phone.
- Set an alarm to use it every day—even for just a few minutes.
The benefit? Naming your emotions gives you a sense of control. Without words, your brain struggles to make sense of your feelings—leading to even more emotional chaos. But when you label your emotions, your brain begins to regulate itself. It’s that powerful.
Confidence Through Understanding
A strong emotional vocabulary builds confidence. It helps you identify your emotions more accurately, process them more easily, and brings calm in the face of emotional storms.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, this is something you can start doing for yourself. Regain your emotional stability. You are worth the effort.
Labeling emotions was a key part of my own recovery journey. It worked for me—and it can work for you too. You are worth every step it takes to understand and heal.
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