On Emotional Vocabulary
A friend recommended Awaken the Giant Within by Tony Robbins, and one idea that’s really sticking with me is how the words we use can shape our mindset and our outlook.
We’re obviously big on words here at Season Journals!
Robbins talks about what he calls Transformational Vocabulary — the idea that the specific words we use to describe an experience can influence how we experience it.
He also describes an exercise where he asks people to write down all of the emotions they experience in a typical week. Most people could only name around 10. Brené Brown’s book, Atlas of the Heart, outlines 87. 87! Both of these teachers point to the value of expanding our emotional vocabulary.
The more accurately we can name what we’re feeling, the better we can understand ourselves.
And the more intentionally we choose empowering words — or even neutral over negative ones — the more we can develop a positive outlook.
Be well,
Annette Furio
Founder, Season Journals
Write It
Journal Prompts
How did I feel today? List as many emotions as you can.
What is one positive emotion I’d like to notice more often?
What words or phrases do I use often that might be shaping my mindset?
Write one word, phrase, or affirmation that feels encouraging to you today.
Say It
Affirmations
I am intentional about the words I choose.
I use words that help me see possibility.
I honor what I feel while choosing how I respond.
Try It
Action Ideas
Notice Your Words & Name Your Emotions
MORNING
In the Everyday Positive Journal, the Word of the Day gives you space to write a word to guide your day. Maybe your word is calm, curious, present, joyful, or connected.
Choose your word in the morning and carry it with you throughout the day. Notice how it shows up in your thoughts, your interactions, your choices, and your feelings.
EVENING
At the end of the day, come back to your journal. Write down all the other emotions you experienced throughout the day, too.
Maybe you felt energized, distracted, jazzed, nervous, grateful, overstimulated, or bored.
There’s no goal to have more positive emotions and fewer negative ones. The goal is simply to notice, name, and understand.
The more words we have, the more nuanced our understanding of our own emotional world can become.
Explore It
Resources & Links
Get the list of 87 emotions from Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart.
Read Tony Robbins’ four steps to change your words and change your life.
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