When Emotion Has You, Before You Have Words for It
Strong emotion often arrives unannounced —
anger without warning,
a sudden drop in the stomach,
a tightening in the throat.
Before the mind has language, the body speaks first.
There is a quiet but powerful shift that happens when an emotion is named.
Not solved.
Not dismissed.
Simply recognized.
Naming is not for control.
It is for clarity — and clarity creates space.
Why Naming Has Power
Research in neuroscience and psychology points to a simple truth:
When we put words to internal experience, something in the brain reorganizes.
The amygdala — built for alarm — settles.
The prefrontal cortex — built for perspective — comes online.
Dr. Daniel Siegel calls it “Name it to tame it,”
but in practice it is less slogan and more subtle shift:
emotion becomes experience, not identity.
Instead of
“I am anxious,”
the naming moves it to
“I am noticing anxiety.”
This small linguistic move widens the frame.
Working With the Name, Not Against It
1. Pause before interpretation
The instinct is to react.
Naming invites a moment to respond instead.
2. Identify the feeling with specificity
Not “bad.”
Not “off.”
Something more precise: disappointment, envy, apprehension.
3. Say the name — silently or aloud
There is grounding in hearing your own acknowledgement.
4. Notice how the body participates
Emotion is not only thought; it is sensation.
5. Return to naming often
This is not a technique but a muscle — built through use.
When Naming Is Difficult
Many people were never given language for internal states — only behaviour.
In those cases, the body becomes the first dictionary.
A tightening jaw might point toward anger.
A sinking chest toward sadness.
A smile that feels forced toward something unspoken.
Tools like emotion wheels or journaling help expand vocabulary,
but more important than the perfect word is the willingness to look inward.
Something to Sit With
Naming an emotion is not the end of the work —
it is the threshold.
A way of saying to the self,
“I see that something is happening in me.”
Clarity does not erase the feeling,
but it gives you a place to stand while you feel it.