A reference guide for naming what's happening inside
Most people use the same small handful of words — sad, mad, happy, stressed — to describe everything they feel. But emotions are far more specific than that, and the more precisely we can name a feeling, the more we can do something with it.
Research shows that naming a feeling accurately actually reduces its intensity. It also makes it easier for the people in our lives to understand us — and respond in a way that actually helps.
You are not "just stressed." You might be overwhelmed, resentful, unseen, or terrified. The right word changes everything — including what you need.
Tap or circle the words that feel true right now — even a little. You can belong to more than one category at a time.
These are feelings many people carry without having a word for them. If one of these sounds like you, that recognition matters.
Use this space to go a little deeper with what came up.
Which words surprised you — ones you didn't expect to recognize? Is there a feeling you carry often that you have never had a word for until now? Which feeling is hardest for you to express out loud — and what gets in the way? What do you usually say instead of the real feeling — and what does that cost you?