Something feels off. Let's find the words.

You don't need to know what you feel to begin. Start with your body, narrow down to a specific feeling, and take a breath to consider what might be behind it.

A guided check-in

Start with your body. End with a word that fits.

You don't need the right words yet. Drag colors onto your body to show where you feel something. Then choose a feeling, check its energy, and consider what might be behind it.

Private. Your choices stay on this device.

How to identify what you're feeling

Naming what you're feeling takes practice. We're often taught what to think, but rarely how to notice and name our feelings. This guide offers a few ways to start.

Step 01

Drop Into Your Body

Emotions are physiological experiences before they are psychological thoughts. When you're struggling to name a feeling, stop trying to think your way out of it and scan your body instead.

The Clench:Are your jaw, fists, or shoulders tight? (Often points to anger or stress.)

The Flutter:Is your heart racing, or do you have "butterflies" in your stomach? (Often points to anxiety or excitement.)

The Heavy Blanket:Does your chest feel heavy, or do your limbs feel sluggish? (Often points to sadness or burnout.)

Body sensations and possible feelings

Physical sensation

Tight chest, shallow breathing

Potential underlying emotion

Anxiety, Fear, Overwhelmed

Physical sensation

Heat in the face, clenched jaw

Potential underlying emotion

Anger, Frustration, Humiliation

Physical sensation

Hollowness in stomach, heavy eyes

Potential underlying emotion

Sadness, Grief, Loneliness

Physical sensation

Lightness, urge to smile, open posture

Potential underlying emotion

Joy, Contentment, Connection

Step 02

Move Beyond "Fine" or "Bad"

Psychologists call this emotional granularity — the ability to put specific names to specific feelings. If you just say you feel "bad," it's hard to know what to do next. You need to narrow it down.

Primary (The Umbrella):I feel bad.

Secondary (The Category):I feel angry.

Tertiary (The Root):Actually, I feel resentful (or jealous, or let down).

Tip: If you're stuck, Google an "Emotion Wheel." It starts with core emotions in the center (Sad, Mad, Scared, Joyful) and branches out into dozens of highly specific nuances.

Step 03

Investigate the "Why" (Without Judgment)

Once you have a rough name for the feeling, look at what was happening around it. Ask yourself:

What happened right before this feeling showed up?

What story am I telling myself about what happened? (e.g., "They didn't text back, which means they hate me.")

What boundary was just crossed? (Anger usually means a boundary was violated; fear means safety is threatened.)

Step 04

Separate Primary Emotions from Secondary Ones

Sometimes we use one emotion to mask another because the primary one feels too vulnerable.

Anger can cover more vulnerable feelings like shame, grief, or fear.

If you snap at a minor inconvenience, ask yourself whether something more painful is underneath the anger.

Step 05

Treat Feelings as Data, Not Directives

The biggest trap is assuming that because a feeling is intense, it represents absolute truth.

Feeling guilty doesn't automatically mean you did something wrong.

Feeling anxious doesn't automatically mean you are in danger.

Tip: Feelings can tell you something about what is happening around you or what you have been through. Take them seriously without treating them as facts or instructions.

Questions people ask

That's common. You can skip the body step, or add one color that feels roughly right. The activity still works from the feeling questions onward; noticing your body is optional.

No. It is a private reflection tool that offers words to consider. It cannot diagnose anxiety, depression, alexithymia, trauma, or any other condition. If you want a diagnosis, please reach out to a qualified mental-health professional.

A feeling and its energy are two different things. You can feel resentful while your body is genuinely depleted. Comparing them can add useful context.

Your answers stay on this device. The activity saves temporary progress in your browser so you can refresh or return within a day, but your detailed picks are not sent to analytics. Only anonymous usage events, such as completing a step, are tracked.

Treat the result as a suggestion. See whether the word fits, think about the question from the breathing step, and notice if the feeling returns over the next few days. Habit can help you spot patterns over time.

You don't need the perfect word.

You only need one clue to begin.

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A guided check-in

Start with your body. End with a word that fits.

You don't need the right words yet. Drag colors onto your body to show where you feel something. Then choose a feeling, check its energy, and consider what might be behind it.

Private. Your choices stay on this device.

How to identify what you're feeling

Naming what you're feeling takes practice. We're often taught what to think, but rarely how to notice and name our feelings. This guide offers a few ways to start.

Step 01

Drop Into Your Body

Emotions are physiological experiences before they are psychological thoughts. When you're struggling to name a feeling, stop trying to think your way out of it and scan your body instead.

The Clench:Are your jaw, fists, or shoulders tight? (Often points to anger or stress.)

The Flutter:Is your heart racing, or do you have "butterflies" in your stomach? (Often points to anxiety or excitement.)

The Heavy Blanket:Does your chest feel heavy, or do your limbs feel sluggish? (Often points to sadness or burnout.)

Body sensations and possible feelings

Physical sensation

Tight chest, shallow breathing

Potential underlying emotion

Anxiety, Fear, Overwhelmed

Physical sensation

Heat in the face, clenched jaw

Potential underlying emotion

Anger, Frustration, Humiliation

Physical sensation

Hollowness in stomach, heavy eyes

Potential underlying emotion

Sadness, Grief, Loneliness

Physical sensation

Lightness, urge to smile, open posture

Potential underlying emotion

Joy, Contentment, Connection

Step 02

Move Beyond "Fine" or "Bad"

Primary (The Umbrella):I feel bad.

Secondary (The Category):I feel angry.

Tertiary (The Root):Actually, I feel resentful (or jealous, or let down).

Tip: If you're stuck, Google an "Emotion Wheel." It starts with core emotions in the center (Sad, Mad, Scared, Joyful) and branches out into dozens of highly specific nuances.

Step 03

Investigate the "Why" (Without Judgment)

Once you have a rough name for the feeling, look at what was happening around it. Ask yourself:

What happened right before this feeling showed up?

What story am I telling myself about what happened? (e.g., "They didn't text back, which means they hate me.")

What boundary was just crossed? (Anger usually means a boundary was violated; fear means safety is threatened.)

Step 04

Separate Primary Emotions from Secondary Ones

Sometimes we use one emotion to mask another because the primary one feels too vulnerable.

Anger can cover more vulnerable feelings like shame, grief, or fear.

If you snap at a minor inconvenience, ask yourself whether something more painful is underneath the anger.

Step 05

Treat Feelings as Data, Not Directives

The biggest trap is assuming that because a feeling is intense, it represents absolute truth.

Feeling guilty doesn't automatically mean you did something wrong.

Feeling anxious doesn't automatically mean you are in danger.

Tip: Feelings can tell you something about what is happening around you or what you have been through. Take them seriously without treating them as facts or instructions.

Questions people ask

That's common. You can skip the body step, or add one color that feels roughly right. The activity still works from the feeling questions onward; noticing your body is optional.

A feeling and its energy are two different things. You can feel resentful while your body is genuinely depleted. Comparing them can add useful context.

Something feels off. Let's find the words.

A guided check-in

Start with your body. End with a word that fits.

How to identify what you're feeling

Drop Into Your Body

Move Beyond "Fine" or "Bad"

Investigate the "Why" (Without Judgment)

Separate Primary Emotions from Secondary Ones

Treat Feelings as Data, Not Directives

Questions people ask

What if I can't feel anything in my body?

Is this a diagnosis or mental-health test?

Why do you ask about my energy separately from the feeling?

What happens to my answers?

What should I do after I finish?

You don't need the perfect word.

Something feels off. Let's find the words.

A guided check-in

Start with your body. End with a word that fits.

How to identify what you're feeling

Drop Into Your Body

Move Beyond "Fine" or "Bad"

Investigate the "Why" (Without Judgment)

Separate Primary Emotions from Secondary Ones

Treat Feelings as Data, Not Directives

Questions people ask

What if I can't feel anything in my body?

Is this a diagnosis or mental-health test?

Why do you ask about my energy separately from the feeling?

What happens to my answers?

What should I do after I finish?

You don't need the perfect word.