Name what the emotion is doing in your body

Track the physical signs of the emotion as they move through — this alone reduces their intensity.

Why it works

Affect labeling — putting a feeling into words — engages prefrontal processing and is associated with reduced amygdala activation. Specifically naming bodily sensations ("tightening in my throat, heat in my chest") is a form of labeling that creates observational distance from the physiological event. The emotion becomes something you are watching rather than something you are inside of.

How to do it

1. Locate the emotion in the body: scan from head to toe.
2. Describe the physical sensations aloud or in writing: size, quality, temperature, movement.
3. Track how the sensations change from moment to moment — they are always moving if you watch closely.
4. Continue for 60–120 seconds without interpreting or narrating.

Evidence

Affect labeling is supported by fMRI research showing reduced amygdala activation when feelings are put into words. Somatic tracking — specifically attending to body sensations — is also a component of several evidence-based therapies for anxiety. (observational)

These findings are from controlled conditions; the effect on intense, real-world emotion is less studied. Somatic tracking can increase anxiety for some people before it decreases it.

Sources

• Lieberman et al. (2007), "Putting feelings into words," Psychological Science

Common mistake

Getting absorbed into the story triggered by each sensation ("my chest is tight because he said that") rather than staying with the raw physical observation.