26/11/2025
Learning to name your emotions is one of the most powerful regulation tools we have.💚
When we put words to our feelings, the brain starts to settle making space for clarity, choice and calm. 🌱
This is what Dan Siegel calls “Name it to tame it.”
How does it work?
1️⃣ The brain shifts gears
Naming an emotion activates the prefrontal cortex (the part that helps you think clearly) and settles the amygdala, your inner alarm.
2️⃣ It creates space
Labeling a feeling gives you a little distance.
“I’m noticing anxiety” is very different from “I am anxious.”
3️⃣ Chaos becomes clarity
A named emotion becomes organised and understandable, no longer a swirl of sensations.
4️⃣ It supports emotional regulation (for all ages)
Children and adults settle more quickly when the feeling is acknowledged and named.
In The Whole-Brain Child, Siegel and Bryson show that children regulate faster when an adult:
✨️notices the feeling,
✨️names it out loud,
✨️stays connected and calm.
5️⃣ It builds emotional literacy
The more you practice naming feelings, the easier it becomes to regulate them.
Try it today:
Pause → Notice → Name
A simple practice with profound impact
🌻
