Why it works
Strong emotions run on fast, automatic parts of the brain. Trying to suppress them usually makes them louder.
Labeling works differently. Turning a feeling into a word engages the brain’s language and reasoning areas, and in lab studies that shift goes along with lower activity in the amygdala, the region that drives the alarm response.
Researchers call it affect labeling. It doesn’t make the feeling disappear, but it turns the volume down enough for you to choose what happens next.
How to use it
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Pause and pick one word
When a strong feeling hits, stop and name it, out loud or in your head.
“This is anxiety.” -
Be specific
“Disappointed”, “embarrassed” or “overwhelmed” work better than “bad”. The more precise the word, the stronger the effect.
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Then decide what to do
Once the feeling has a name, it’s easier to treat it as information instead of a command.