Ale Cabrera
Emotions Vocabulary
The current pace of our lives leaves no room for feelings. Experiencing our emotions is important. We have lost the art of doing so. Many people don't know how to name their emotions.
We should begin by enriching our vocabulary. Identify the emotions, understand them, and let them resonate inside us. Regardless of the dictionary definition, our past, culture, and personality shape our emotions.
Identifying and naming emotions
We all experience different emotions and feelings. Unfortunately, we do not name them properly. To expand our vocabulary, I crafted downloadable emotion lists drawing on Dr. Marc Brackett (Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence) and Dr. Tiffany Watt Smith's work on human emotions across cultures.
Focused on pleasure and energy, the Mood Meter goes beyond categorizing emotions as simply positive or negative, red and blue can drain us, while yellow and green can restore energy.
Emotional buffet
Make an emotion chart with as many emotions as you feel comfortable with. Stand in front of the chart each day and pick at least five emotions that describe how you are feeling.
Feel the emotions as they resonate within. Keep in mind that you own your feelings. Nobody has the power to make you feel anything. Own your feelings by saying: I feel…
If you want to change your mood, select the emotions you want to feel, give yourself permission to experience uncomfortable emotions, and identify at least three actions that can shift how you feel.