How to Use ‘Wheel of Emotions’ to Express Better Emotions
A simple chart that can help you to express emotions in your daily life
When I was 10 years old, I remember my therapist saying to my parents that I had Alexithymia — an inability to express emotions or to understand other’s emotions.
I could not respond to things as they were happening around me. I could mentally process whether it is bad news, an unusual assignment, or a tough situation. But often had a hard time feeling or verbalizing it.
Expressing emotions is complicated and challenging — sometimes annoying — a task that leaves countless people overwhelmed and more confused than the feelings. I remember it was troublesome for me to feel things that were happening in real-time around me.
During my school days, once I lost in the swimming competition. I remember my mom asking me to tell her how I was feeling.
“Nothing” I answered. And I meant it. “I feel nothing.”
Later, while we were going home, I yelled at her.
My mother then took me to an amazing and wonderful therapist. The therapist made me narrate stories and analyzed different cases by avoiding discussions about how things made me feel.
