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The Feelings Wheel

La Rueda de los Sentimientos

The Kids Wheel

La Rueda de los Niños

The Needs Wheel

The Intuitive Eating Guide

The Values Deck

The Body Sensations Wheel

Your body’s been trying to tell you something. This tool helps you listen.

  • Uncover hidden feelings
  • Encourage rational thought through emotional labeling
  • Use physical sensations to guide emotional experiences
  • Simple somatic practice
  • Increase understanding of your body and emotions

A Step By Step Guide

  1. Identify Base Emotion Each petal on The Feelings Wheel represents a base emotion. Find the base that best represents your current emotional state.
  2. Narrow It Down Move your attention to the first row of words on your selected petal. Read through them and select the word that seems to capture your emotional state at this moment.
  3. Fine-Tune After choosing an initial word, look directly above at the two more specific variations that stem from it. Select one that best labels how you’re feeling. You may have an 'ah-ha' moment when you find the word that resonates with you. 
  4. Process With your specific emotion in mind, take the time to reflect. You might want to journal your thoughts, have a conversation with someone you trust, or bring your insights into your next therapy session for further exploration.

Journal Prompt #1

If you and your body sat down for tea, would it end in yelling or hugs? What would it say?

Journal Prompt #2

When do you ignore your body like the week old pile of laundry on your floor?

The research that inspired us

Combined with the benefits of emotional labeling

The Body Sensations Wheel creates a holistic approach to connecting. When we talk about anxiety or depression we often use words that explain a physical sensation: feeling empty, "my chest feels heavy", or "I'm struggling to breathe". Whether we like it or not, our bodies experience emotions just as much as our minds do. Research has shown that emotions tend to show up in specific areas of the body (Nummenmaa, Glerean, Hari & Hientanen, 2014). With this knowledge, we can use our physical sensations to guide us in our emotional experiences.

Nummenmaa, L., Glerean, E., Hari, R., & Hietanen, J. K. (2014). Bodily maps of emotions. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(2), 646-651.

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