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Emotion Wheel: A Tool to Understand Yourself
educational
What is the Emotion Wheel? Imagine a colour wheel, but instead of colours, it shows different feelings. This wheel helps you understand your feelings better. An emotion wheel is a visual tool that categorises emotions into primary and secondary categories, arranged in a circular format. Based on its relationship and intensity, each emotion is positioned in relation to the others. Dr. Plutchik's emotion wheel typically includes eight primary emotions: joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger, and anticipation. These primary emotions can combine to form secondary emotions, creating a wide spectrum of human feelings.
How Does it Work?
Our feelings can be complicated. The Emotion Wheel helps us untangle them by showing
how feelings are related. By visualising emotions in this structured manner, individuals can
identify and understand their feelings more effectively.
Why Use the Emotion Wheel?
● Know Yourself Better: The wheel helps you figure out exactly how you're feeling
instead of just feeling vaguely bad.
● Talk About Feelings Easier: By having names for your feelings, you can talk about
them with others in a clear way.
● Deal with Feelings Healthily: Once you know what you're feeling, you can find
healthy ways to cope with those feelings.
● Understand Others: The wheel can help you imagine how other people might be
feeling too.
How to Use the Emotion Wheel:
1. Take a minute to think about how you're feeling right now. What's the main emotion
you're experiencing?
2. Use the emotion wheel as a guide to find the word that best describes your main
feeling.
3. Are there any other feelings mixed in with that main one? For example, maybe you
feel a little frustrated (primary emotion) but also disappointed (secondary emotion)
about something.
4. Think about what might have caused you to feel this way. What happened recently
that could be linked to these emotions?
5. Now that you understand your feelings better, what can you do to feel better? Do you
need to relax, talk to someone you trust, or find another healthy way to cope?
Conclusion:
The feeling wheel is a simple tool that can help you understand yourself and your emotions better. By using it, you can improve your self-awareness, communication, and overall well-being. So next time you're feeling confused about your emotions, give the feeling wheel
a spin!
If you're struggling to understand or manage your emotions, consider reaching out to a therapist or counselor. There are many options available, including online therapy and in-person sessions.