Let’s Play “Name That Feeling”
One of the most difficult things to do when navigating emotions and emotionally charged situations is being able to perfectly articulate EXACTLY what we feel and why. We flub and flounder to find just the right word, and more times than not, we don’t really get it quite right.
We struggle and cannot narrow down particularly how we feel and the motivation/driving factor behind it. Lack of expression can lead to further miscommunications, hurt feelings and a sense of not being understood. When these types of situations arise, it’s a perfect opportunity to deploy one of the many tools in your mental health toolbox, The Feeling Wheel.
Here's how you can use it:
Start At The Center: The innermost circle of the Feeling Wheel contains general emotions like "happy," "sad," or "angry." Take a moment to reflect on your current emotional state and identify the primary emotion you're experiencing.
Move To The Middle Circle: Once you've identified the primary emotion, expand your view and look at the middle circle adjacent to the emotion from step 1. This circle provides more specific variations of the primary emotion. For example, if you identified "sad" as your primary emotion, the middle circle may include options like "lonely," "disappointed," or "heartbroken." Choose the word that best describes your feelings.
Explore The Outer Circle: The outer circle of the feeling wheel provides even more specific emotions and nuances related to the word you chose from the middle circle. For instance, if you selected "lonely" from the middle circle, the outer circle might include options like "isolated," "abandoned," or "alienated." Again, select the word that resonates with your experience.
Navigate How You Feel: Now that you can articulate what you are feeling, dig a little deeper. Now you can explore define the 6 Ws: the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and to What Extent of how you feel. This exercise can help you gain insight into the driving factors behind your emotions and better understand and how manage them.
By using the Feeling Wheel coupled with the 6 Ws, you can delve deeper into your emotions and gain a more comprehensive understanding of how you're feeling. This tool can be helpful for self-reflection, enhancing emotional intelligence, and effective communication with others.
Coach T