Name your emotions, feel them in your body
It's common to have trouble recognizing emotions right away. Whether you start from emotions or from your body, either way is fine.
Naming an emotion reduces amygdala activity in your brain. This is called 'Affect Labeling.'
Naming itself is the beginning of regulation.
Select the emotion you're feeling now
Where do you feel it most in your body?
A state of being overwhelmed by energy and sensation. Anger, fear, and anxiety tend to show up here.
The zone where your nervous system functions optimally. You can feel joy and calm here, and respond flexibly to stress.
A state of lowered energy, numbness, or disconnection. Numbness and dissociation belong here.
All emotions are information. There are no 'bad' emotions. Even uncomfortable feelings are signals trying to tell you something.
Simply naming an emotion reduces amygdala activity. Labeling is itself a form of regulation.
Noticing body sensations helps you recognize emotions faster and more accurately.
Feeling multiple emotions at once is natural. Complex situations create complex emotions.
Body-based emotion mapping
Nummenmaa, L., et al. (2014). Bodily maps of emotions. PNAS, 111(2), 646-651.
Each emotion has unique bodily activation patterns, consistent across cultures
Two-dimensional model of affect
Russell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol., 39(6), 1161-1178.
Emotions mapped on valence × arousal axes → connects to Window of Tolerance
Window of Tolerance
Siegel, D. J. (1999). The developing mind. Guilford Press.
Optimal functioning zone of the nervous system
Affect Labeling
Lieberman, M. D., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421-428.
Naming emotions reduces amygdala response → the beginning of regulation