Management of Emotions - Name It To Tame It
A common goal in the improvement and management of our mental health is gaining awareness and understanding of our emotions. Emotions can so often be these big, ambiguous, things that impact our lives without any sense of control or way to begin to sort them out. This post is about the first step that you can take to begin helping yourself better manage those emotions.
Research shows us that our brain better copes with emotions simply by identifying and putting a name on what we’re experiencing. At the bottom of this post is an emotion wheel, consisting of a variety of emotions within the human experience.
To try it out: Think of a recent emotional experience that you had - What was going on? Who was involved? What was said? How were you feeling?
Connect that experience to an emotion on the wheel:
Start in the middle of the wheel, where the slices are the largest, and locate the most accurate emotion - Example: Surprised
Next, move to the second “level” of the wheel to further-identify the emotion you were experiencing - Example: Startled
Finally, turn your attention to the third “level” of the wheel to even further-identify the emotion - Example: Shocked
Taking the time to begin to more accurately identify your emotions is an easy first step in helping yourself be more in tune with your emotions, which creates the space to eventually improve on your management of emotions. Keep in mind that life is complex - you might feel more than one emotion at once and that is okay! The important part is beginning to name those emotions, thinking your experiences through, and embracing your emotional experience rather than pushing it aside.
- Caleb Simon, LCMFT