This feeling word list is part of our series on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. One of the most important parts of managing feelings is increasing our awareness of them. Identifying and labeling emotions can be a helpful tool in this process. That is where feeling word lists come in. In my work with clients I have tried a number of different types of feeling word lists. I compiled this list by combining my favorite components of different lists I have used. I like lists that are divided into pleasant and unpleasant emotions. I also like when words are separated into groups. Sometimes we have a general idea of what we are feeling, but can’t put a specific word on it. Having the words grouped into categories can help us more quickly find the exact emotion we are labeling. On the easy feelings side, the first emotion you will see listed is love. On the difficult side, fear is the first emotion listed. There is a philosophy in mindfulness-based approaches that all emotions can be grouped into these two categories. When I am practicing awareness of my emotions, I will often ask myself if an emotion is rooted in love or if it is rooted in fear. I hope you find this practice helpful for yourself. See below for a video discussing the feeling word list and for a copy of it that you can try.
Willow Wellness 