Naming in Practice

The technique works best in real time, but it also works after the fact. The simplest version is the pause-and-label method: when a strong feeling hits, stop for three seconds and say internally, "I am feeling [specific word] because [reason]." That joins identification with analysis.

Research by Ethan Kross at the University of Michigan found that referring to yourself in the third person ("Alex is feeling overwhelmed") creates even more distance than first-person labeling.

The written method works too. Keep a notes app open, and when emotions spike, type one line: the emotion and its trigger. Review at night, and patterns start to surface within a week.