How well do you know your own feelings? Sometimes it is hard to describe what we are feeling, especially those uncomfortable feelings... We can gain a better understanding by learning more descriptive words. The wheel of emotions (aka feelings wheel) is a visual aid to help us understand and process our emotions to become more emotionally literate. The original concept was created by psychologist Robert Plutchik in the early 80s and the visual was designed to help patients identify feelings and where they stem from. A key aspect of emotional literacy is naming and communicating feelings clearly, it's something that gets easier with practice. Emotionally literate folks are usually able to identify their own emotions as well as those of others. In addition, they tend to understand how their emotions interact with each other and how experiences affect them.

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It can be complicated to understand why we feel the way we do, emotions are rather complex and sometimes difficult to comprehend. Using the mindfulness concept to sit with those feelings is so important even though it may be challenging at times. And with all feels, it will pass... you will be able to identify your feelings to take the steps to unpack and work through it on your own or with a trusted friend/family member/therapist. The wheel has helped to expand my vocabulary of feelings beyond the core emotions which helped with the process of self-reflection and contributed positively to my mental health. Please check it out and try it for yourself if you haven't done so, downloadable PDF at the bottom of the page.

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"The benefits of using an emotion wheel help to improve emotional intelligence, identify the root causes of emotions, see how different emotions connect and discover new ways to cope with emotions." (Pysch Central)