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Explore your emotions through journaling
Aoife
Community Manager Posts: 3,228 Boards Guru
Naming the emotions we're feeling can be hard sometimes and we wanted to create a thread (a bit like the 'I need a hug thread'), inspired by an article written by one of our volunteers Sharvari, to help you identify how you're feeling and what you might need.
Why is understanding our emotions important?
Our emotions can be powerful and sometimes they might feel like a burden but each of our emotions are all really important. Sharvari describes them as 'messengers' as they are like our internal compass, helping us to figure out how a situation makes us feel. This then helps us make decisions about what we might need and want to help us cope with them and move past any difficult feelings we may be experiencing.
Follow the guidance we've written below to help you share how you're feeling. A friendly reminder to take a read of our community guidelines for guidance on how to post safely
Step 1:
Take a look at the emotion feeling wheel in the spoiler below. Find an emotion to describe how you're feeling.
The feelings wheel organises the different dimensions of feelings we may have into several categories and subcategories to help you pinpoint exactly how you’re feeling, which can be helpful, especially if you’re overwhelmed by your emotions.
At first glance, the feelings wheel resembles a colour wheel, with concentric circles representing different layers of emotions. The wheel is divided into primary emotions, secondary emotions, and tertiary emotions. Each layer delves deeper into the nuances of our emotional experiences, allowing us to pinpoint our feelings.
Alt text for the feeling wheel spoilered:
Step 2:
Copy and paste the sentence below and use the emotion you found in the emotion feeling wheel to complete the sentence. Have a think about what would help you or what you feel you need right now.
I feel… [insert emotion from the feeling wheel]
Something that helped me before was....
To help me today, I need...
We hope you find this thread helpful
Why is understanding our emotions important?
Our emotions can be powerful and sometimes they might feel like a burden but each of our emotions are all really important. Sharvari describes them as 'messengers' as they are like our internal compass, helping us to figure out how a situation makes us feel. This then helps us make decisions about what we might need and want to help us cope with them and move past any difficult feelings we may be experiencing.
Follow the guidance we've written below to help you share how you're feeling. A friendly reminder to take a read of our community guidelines for guidance on how to post safely
Step 1:
Take a look at the emotion feeling wheel in the spoiler below. Find an emotion to describe how you're feeling.
At first glance, the feelings wheel resembles a colour wheel, with concentric circles representing different layers of emotions. The wheel is divided into primary emotions, secondary emotions, and tertiary emotions. Each layer delves deeper into the nuances of our emotional experiences, allowing us to pinpoint our feelings.
Alt text for the feeling wheel spoilered:
Primary emotions: The innermost circle of the wheel consists of the broad primary emotions: anger; sadness; surprise; joy; love; fear. These emotions serve as the fundamental building blocks of our emotional experiences. They provide a general sense of how we are feeling, acting as a starting point for further exploration.
Secondary emotions: As we move outward, the wheel introduces secondary emotions that stem from the primary emotions. This layer acknowledges that emotions are rarely singular; they often manifest as a complex blend of various feelings. These emotions offer a more nuanced understanding of our feelings.
Tertiary emotions: The outermost layer of the feelings wheel unveils tertiary emotions, which are the most specific and detailed emotions we can experience. These emotions capture the subtle distinctions that make each emotional experience unique.
With anger as the primary emotion: under rage, tertiary emotions include hate and hostile. Under exasperated, tertiary emotions include agitated and frustrated. Under irritable, tertiary emotions include aggravated and annoyed. Under envy, tertiary emotions include resentful and jealous. Under disgust, tertiary emotions include contempt and revolted.
With sadness as the primary emotion: under suffering, tertiary emotions include agony and hurt. Under sadness, teritary emotions include depressed and sorrow. Under disappointed, tertiary emotions include dismayed and displeased. Under shameful, tertiary emotions include regretful and guilty. Under neglected, tertiary emotions include isolated and lonely. Under despair, tertiary emotions include grief and powerless.
With joy as the primary emotion: under content, tertiary emotions include pleased and satisfied. Under happy, tertiary emotions include amused and delighted. Under cheerful, tertiary emotions include jovial and blissful. Under proud, tertiary emotions include triumphant and illustrious. Under optimistic, tertiary emotions include hopeful and eager. Under enthusiastic, tertiary emotions include excited and zeal. Under elation, tertiary emotions include jubilation and euphoric. Under enthralled, tertiary emotions include rapture and enchanted.
With love as the primary emotion: under peaceful, tertiary emotions include satisfied and relieved. Under tenderness, tertiary emotions include compassionate and caring. Under desire, tertiary emotions include infatuation and passion. Under longing, teritary emotions include attracted and sentimental. Under affectionate, tertiary emotions include fondness and romantic.
With fear as the primary emotion: under horror, tertiary emotions include dread and mortified. Under nervous, tertiary emotions include anxious and worried. Under insecure, tertiary emotions include inadequate and inferior. Under terror, tertiary emotions include hysterical and panic. Under scared, tertiary emotions include helpless and frightened.
Secondary emotions: As we move outward, the wheel introduces secondary emotions that stem from the primary emotions. This layer acknowledges that emotions are rarely singular; they often manifest as a complex blend of various feelings. These emotions offer a more nuanced understanding of our feelings.
- Under the primary emotion of anger, secondary emotions are rage, exasperated, irritable, envy, and disgust.
- Under the primary emotion of sadness, secondary emotions are suffering, sadness, disappointed, shameful, neglected, and despair.
- Under the primary emotion of suprise, secondary emotions are stunned, confused, amazed, overcome, and moved.
- Under the primary emotion of joy, secondary emotions are content, happy, cheerful, proud, optimistic, enthusiastic, elation, and enthralled.
- Under the primary emotion of love, secondary emotions are peaceful, tenderness, desire, longing, and affectionate.
- Under the primary emotion of fear, secondary emotions are horror, nervous, insecure, terror, and scared.
Tertiary emotions: The outermost layer of the feelings wheel unveils tertiary emotions, which are the most specific and detailed emotions we can experience. These emotions capture the subtle distinctions that make each emotional experience unique.
With anger as the primary emotion: under rage, tertiary emotions include hate and hostile. Under exasperated, tertiary emotions include agitated and frustrated. Under irritable, tertiary emotions include aggravated and annoyed. Under envy, tertiary emotions include resentful and jealous. Under disgust, tertiary emotions include contempt and revolted.
With sadness as the primary emotion: under suffering, tertiary emotions include agony and hurt. Under sadness, teritary emotions include depressed and sorrow. Under disappointed, tertiary emotions include dismayed and displeased. Under shameful, tertiary emotions include regretful and guilty. Under neglected, tertiary emotions include isolated and lonely. Under despair, tertiary emotions include grief and powerless.
With joy as the primary emotion: under content, tertiary emotions include pleased and satisfied. Under happy, tertiary emotions include amused and delighted. Under cheerful, tertiary emotions include jovial and blissful. Under proud, tertiary emotions include triumphant and illustrious. Under optimistic, tertiary emotions include hopeful and eager. Under enthusiastic, tertiary emotions include excited and zeal. Under elation, tertiary emotions include jubilation and euphoric. Under enthralled, tertiary emotions include rapture and enchanted.
With love as the primary emotion: under peaceful, tertiary emotions include satisfied and relieved. Under tenderness, tertiary emotions include compassionate and caring. Under desire, tertiary emotions include infatuation and passion. Under longing, teritary emotions include attracted and sentimental. Under affectionate, tertiary emotions include fondness and romantic.
With fear as the primary emotion: under horror, tertiary emotions include dread and mortified. Under nervous, tertiary emotions include anxious and worried. Under insecure, tertiary emotions include inadequate and inferior. Under terror, tertiary emotions include hysterical and panic. Under scared, tertiary emotions include helpless and frightened.
Step 2:
Copy and paste the sentence below and use the emotion you found in the emotion feeling wheel to complete the sentence. Have a think about what would help you or what you feel you need right now.
I feel… [insert emotion from the feeling wheel]
Something that helped me before was....
To help me today, I need...
We hope you find this thread helpful
Maybe somethings don't get better, but we do. We get stronger. We learn to live with our situations as messy and ugly as they are. We fix what we can and we adapt to what we can't. Maybe some of us will never fully be okay, but at least we're here. We're still trying. We're doing the best we can. That's worth celebrating too ❤
Post edited by TheMix on
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Comments
Want to hurt me… go ahead
Wish to bully me…I’m used to it
Want to talk crap about me…go on then
Want to make me cry…feel free
Hugging you back too tysm!
Sending hugs to you all as well
I feel… [insert emotion from the feeling wheel]
Something that helped me before was....
To help me today, I need...
Something that helped me before was.... doin digital art.
To help me today, I need... to do digital art. or distract myself.
no. bc i feel awful. been watching youtube all day.
Something that helped me before was.... Reaching out or sleeping
To help me today, I need... to try have a decent night sleep and stay hydrated 🤷🏻♀️
(Ps. Think this it the first and last time I'll do this journalling lol I feel too weird)
Something that helped me before was.... crying.
To help me today, I need... a hug.
Something that helped me before was.... distracting myself and sharing how I feel
To help me today, I need... i dont know. To find a distraction I guess
Hey @independent_ good shout! We've added some extra info about what the feelings wheel is and it's purpose into the post, aswell as some alt text. It is a bit of a tricky diagram to describe unfortunately but I hope this is helpful.
Something that helped me before was.... opening up. but idk how to explain it.
To help me today, I need... idk.
Something that helped me before was.... breathing exercises
To help me today, I need... hurts to breathe but will try deep breathing.
Something that helped me before was.... normally talking to mum but she in hospital.
To help me today, I need... a big hug but no one irl i can hug
Something that helped me before was…. hiding away
To help me today, I need... a big hug
Something that helped me before was…. idk
To help me today, I need... to do something gd for myself
im worried abt the terror going on in my area its disgusting.
Something that helped me before was…. idk
To help me today, I need... to sleep but cant
Something thats helped before was... curling in a ball and shutting everyone out
To help me today i need... to try to be ok so I'm not attention seeking
Something that helped me before was…. keeping to myself
To help me today, I need... to keep going.
thank you im trying my hardest.