Emotion Identifier
Answer three questions to name what you're feeling and get a coping report
Step 1 of 3
How does what you're feeling sit with you?
Don't overthink it — go with your first instinct.
Emotion Trace Map
A research-based visual tool for identifying and naming what you feel
Follow the path that best matches your experience → move left to right → arrive at your emotion name
What are you feeling right now?
Start here · follow the branch that fits best · trust your first instinct
Valence
Feels Wrong
hard · uncomfortable · unpleasant
Feels Good
warm · energizing · pleasant
Feels Flat
numb · empty · disconnected
Feels Mixed
both at once · contradictory
Energy
Level
Level
HIGH
activated
MID
present
LOW
heavy
HIGH
buzzing
MID
steady
LOW
quiet
HIGH
on edge
MID
drifting
LOW
shutdown
HIGH
turbulent
MID
tangled
LOW
resigned
Emotion
anger
anxiety
panic
shame
overwhelm
frustration
resentment
guilt
worry
unease
sadness
loneliness
grief
despair
fatigue
excitement
joy
love
pride
anticipation
satisfaction
warmth
confidence
hope
gratitude
contentment
relief
peace
serenity
acceptance
freeze
dissociation
avoidance
numbness
detachment
indifference
emptiness
apathy
confusion
flatness
shutdown
withdrawal
exhaustion
numbness
dissociation
dysregulation
conflict
ambivalence
dread
tension
bittersweet
insecurity
longing
nostalgia
uncertainty
resignation
melancholy
wistfulness
grief
acceptance
Once you find your emotion — ask: directed toward what?
The same emotion looks different and calls for different responses depending on its source. Use the five focus directions to sharpen it further.
event — something that happened
person — directed at someone
self — turned inward, about you
future — anticipatory, about what's ahead
body — felt physically before you can name it
→ the focus shapes which coping strategy fits best
First-Response Coping by Arousal Level — Match the Strategy to the State
High Arousal — Physiology First
Cold water on face or wrists (dive reflex — slows heart rate within seconds)
Intense exercise 15–20 min burns off adrenaline before any cognitive strategy can work
Extended exhale breathing: 4-count in · hold 2 · 8-count out — activates vagal brake
No high-stakes decisions or conversations until arousal has decreased
Progressive muscle relaxation: tense each muscle group 10 sec then release
DBT TIPP Skill (Linehan, 2015) · Barlow Unified Protocol · Porges Polyvagal Theory
Mid Arousal — Name and Engage
Name it: "I feel ______ right now" — labeling activates the PFC and reduces limbic intensity
5-4-3-2-1 grounding: name 5 things you see, 4 hear, 3 touch, 2 smell, 1 taste
Cognitive check: separate what actually happened from the story you're telling about it
Opposite action (DBT): if the emotion urges avoidance or attack — do the opposite gently
Reach toward one safe person — co-regulation is faster than self-regulation
DBT Emotion Regulation (Linehan, 2015) · CBT · Affect labeling research
Low Arousal — Gentle Activation
Gentle rhythmic movement: walking, rocking, slow stretching — activates ventral vagal state
Warm sensory input: shower, tea, weighted blanket — signals safety to the nervous system
Reduce all non-essential demands — low arousal states are the system in protection mode
One micro-action only: pick the single smallest next thing, not a plan
Don't force insight — low arousal states don't respond to cognitive pressure
Porges Polyvagal Theory · van der Kolk (2014) The Body Keeps the Score