A–Z of Emotions: Name It, Tame It, Transform It
We’ve all had those “I’m fine” days that clearly aren’t fine. The body is tense, thoughts feel crowded, and small things set you off—but if someone asks what’s wrong, you don’t have the words.
That gap—between what you feel and what you can name—creates an emotional fog that quietly drives not so healthy choices: the sharp reply, the doom-scroll, the late-night snack, the cancelled plans.
Emotional literacy is the antidote to that fog.
When you can notice, name, and navigate feelings, your nervous system calms and your prefrontal “wise mind” comes back online.
Studies show that simply putting feelings into words reduces limbic reactivity and supports better self-control in the moment. journals.sagepub.com
Why emotional fog is costly
When emotions stay unnamed, your body still registers the load: tight shoulders, churned stomach, racing heart, fragmented sleep.
Over time, vague distress can spill into relationships, productivity, and health—more arguments, less focus, decision fatigue, and habits you don’t feel proud of.
Common stress symptoms span physical (headaches, muscle tension, stomach issues), mental (poor concentration, indecision), and behavioural (irritability, over/undereating) changes. If you’re ticking several of these, your system’s asking for clarity, not criticism. nhs.uk+1
My own experience of this ‘fog’ came with a very high price in the 90’s when I was a young parent raising my daughter single-handedly. While trying to handle the demands of school events and the deadlines of a corporate job in the Square Mile of London, I pushed all of my emotions of lone-ness, abandonment, solitude, and just plane tiredness aside and tried to power through. A near total break-down and burnout was the result for nearly two years that effected not only all of my relationships but hit my bank balance too.
A few gentle gut-check questions
Do you default to “stressed” or “tired” when the feeling is actually resentful, invisible, overlooked, or overwhelmed?
Do small frictions (noise, clutter, delays) create outsized reactions?
Are you waking at 3 a.m. replaying conversations you wish had gone differently?
If you nodded along, you’re not broken—your brain just needs a clearer emotional map.
The 3-Step Process (inside your A–Z workbook)
1) Identify. Swap vague labels for precise ones. The A–Z vocabulary pages help you land on the exact word. “Bad” becomes irritated, insecure, lonely, or grief-tinted. Precision matters: affect labeling reduces amygdala activation and opens up choice.
2) Intervene. Pair the label with a right-sized tool:
Body first: one minute of slow, through-the-nose breathing, a shoulder roll, or a 90-second shake-out.
Boundary scripts: “I can’t do that today; here’s what I can do.”
Attention reset: step away from the screen; get light in your eyes; drink water.
This isn’t about suppressing emotion; it’s about giving your nervous system a hand.
3) Improve. Turn the moment into momentum: one tiny action that honours the feeling (message someone, tidy one surface, step outside, write one line). Micro-wins compound.
What changes when you build emotional vocabulary
Fewer blow-ups, faster repair. You’ll notice the early “tells” and correct course before you spiral.
Clearer decisions. Label → logic → next step.
Kinder self-talk. Precision shrinks shame; compassion grows where confusion used to live.
Better health habits. With reactivity down, it’s easier to choose food, movement, and sleep that serve you. nhs.uk
My visit to a counselor in the 90’s meant that I was able to vocalize for the first time my resentment and hurt. I gained the language and the tools to be able to face my issues head on. The result was 1. a huge relief: acceptance and forgiveness (both for myself and others) and the removal of a blockage to my success; 2. More energy to put into my life projects (rather than ruminating and wondering why???? I wasn’t living my best life) :)
Try this today
Pick one recurring feeling and find three near-synonyms for it (e.g., irritated, impatient, prickly). For the next week, when it shows up, breathe for 60 seconds and name it out loud. Then take one tiny action that respects the signal because the signal is trying to tell you that deep down something needs to change. Even one tiny action towards change will allow your energy to flow more freely.
Want a ready-made guide?
The A–Z of Emotions Workbook walks you through Identify → Intervene → Improve with vocabulary prompts, page-side regulation tools, and check-ins you can do in minutes.
Ready to get fluent in your feelings?
→ Download the A–Z of Emotions Workbook and get that clarity and relief.