Name Your Feeling in Your Head
Silently name what you feel in one word, like irritated or embarrassed, to lower its heat.
Brain imaging and later studies (Torre & Lieberman, 2018 review) find labeling lowers emotional response, though people do not expect it to.
Why it works
Putting a feeling into words calms the brain's alarm response. It also gives you a second to choose your reply.
How to do it
- Notice the body sign: heat, tight jaw, fast heart.
- Name it in one word.
- Breathe out slowly.
- Then speak.
What to say
(To yourself) Irritated.
(To yourself) That is embarrassment, not danger.
Avoid
Saying it out loud in an angry tone, like I am annoyed now. That is venting, not labeling.
Example
In a tense salary talk, a candidate called the offer an insult. Devendra thought, stung, breathed out, and asked what number felt fair.
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