Feelings can be overwhelming. They can knock you over and kick you when you are feeling down. They can be surprising, scary, shameful, and distressing. One of the first steps to take in dealing with you feelings is to identify them. I have a Feelings Jar in my office that has dozens of words to help describe how you are feeling. I will pull them out when people tell me they struggle to know how they feel and express it to others. We each pull out a card and talk about the word. What does that word mean to you? Do you have a time when you felt this way? If it is a negative feeling, how do you manage it? How do you express it appropriately?
Having a word to describe how you feel can make it less difficult to deal with. It can help you feel that you have taken the power back and will not be as overwhelmed next time you have many feelings.
