Brett and Kate McKay wrote about the great power of labeling our emotions [1].
Key – ask yourself:
– How do I feel?
Answer by reflecting:
– I notice that I'm feeling (...).
What can we feel? What emotions are there?
Most basic words: happy, sad, angry.
More specific words:
- Painful: anger, depression, anxiety, being overwhelmed, unkindness, envy, rage, fear, contempt, boredom, shame, restlessness, malicious envy.
- Pleasant: contentment (satisfaction), confidence, joy, happiness (happy), kindness, admiration, calmness, benevolence, indignation, compassion, "in the flow".
Some specific emotions in detail:
- Envy: pain at the good fortune of others.
- Anxiety (as described by Kierkegaard): fear we experience in the face of choice.
- Despair (as described by Kierkegaard): The feeling of not living up to our divine potential.
Related sources:
- "Rhetoric" by Aristotle,
- "Treateise on Human Nature", David Hume
- "True to Our Feelings", Robert Solomon