naming emotions with the feel wheel

One of the reasons why I like meditation is that it helps me pause between feeling an emotion and reacting to it. That pause is helpful. However, if in that pause, I can name the emotion, and do so accurately, I’m able to respond much more effectively.

I recently came across the “feel wheel” (also referred to as the “feeling circle”). Originally designed by Dr. Gloria Wilcox, the version I’ve come across was made by Geoffrey Roberts.

For example:

• When bad becomes busy, which is better described as rushed, I could slow down.
• When fearful becomes weakness, or more accurately, a feeling of worthlessness, I could challenge that conclusion and promote my own worth on the merits of my accomplishments.

The next step is much clearer when I have a clearer understanding of what I’m feeling.

Another approach, with a similar aim, is Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions: