Look it up
Don’t limit yourself
Dictionaries are great resources for emotions. They actually are full of words that can express our feelings. This is great because humans tend to use the same language repeatedly to describe how they feel. In fact, we use the same couple of hundred words every day. It’s just easier and our brains like things easy because they don’t have to do as much work that way. But we are missing out on really giving our emotions the range that would help us understand them. I might say that I am happy when I’m really just relieved or joyful or satisfied or not-freakin-scared any longer. Really describing how we feel takes some thought if we want to convey it properly. Even in our own minds. Starting to expand that list of adjectives gives others a chance to get to know what we are really experiencing also. Drawing out someone else’s true thoughts helps them also. Humans are accountable for all of their emotions. It’s more fun having a bunch of them.
Never Guess
Option #1: What word describes your current feeling?
Option #2: What other words could you use to describe your current feeling?
Option #3: When did you last look up a word?
That’s it. After you choose the option that best describes your feelings words, take a few minutes to describe why you chose that option and what action, if any, may come next.
