List of words: Feelings, sensations, and impulses
Our brain and nervous system feels better when we find the right words to fit our experiences. Being able to name, accept, and validate our feelings can send a signal to our amygdala that decreases our arousal, and helps the nervous system to settle and relax.
The lists below are here if you need some help finding the words to label your experiences, whether you're wanting to describe your emotional feelings, your internal sensations, or the physical impulses or action tendencies you might have in the body right now.
There's no right or wrong when looking at this list, it's just about noticing if anything resonates for you at this particular moment, and seeing what words maybe feel the most validating for you to acknowledge right now.
jump to: lists grouped by emotion - all feeling words - all sensation words
A few mantras to remember
Before you go through this list, I want to remind you of a few little mantras, which you can click to read more about if you need a refresher:
Sometimes feelings arise based on beliefs, stories, or thoughts we may have about ourselves. And it can feel as though the story is true, because of the very real emotional response it causes in the body.
I want you to remember that these feelings, and the stories attached to them, might feel very real for you right now, and at the same time that doesn't mean they are true.
If you find yourself resonating with words like "worthless" or "weak", that doesn't mean you are worthless or weak. Or you might find yourself feeling anxious about a situation, but that doesn't mean the story attached to the anxiety is true – it feels real, but that doesn't mean it's always true.
Emotions are automatic programs. They happen automatically. No emotion is good or bad. They are simply messengers that the brain uses to tell us things. Emotions just are. And they always make sense when we place them in context.
Your feelings just are — they aren't good or bad, they aren't true or false, we don't have to stop them, we don't have to judge them —we can simply allow them to exist and release naturally through the body.
I say that no emotion is good or bad, and that is 100% true, because emotions just are, but I do want to of course acknowledge that sometimes emotions might not feel good to experience — they can feel downright awful.
While they can feel painful, I want you to remember that these feelings are not trying to hurt you. Emotions are not dangerous, even if it feels like they are.
Emotions are a natural force. Think of it as an ocean wave that rises in the beginning, reaches a peak, and then flows away at the end.
Just like a wave, at some point all emotions will naturally start to ebb and flow away back into the ocean. This is built into its programming — emotions are meant to be used as temporary alerts in the brain, so it makes sense that they are not designed to be permanent. Most core emotions, when they’re allowed to flow naturally, only last a few minutes.
And what follows once the wave ebbs and the emotion passes? We usually feel relief. A sigh on the out-breath. A sense of settling. A feeling of relaxation and letting go.
What we often can’t tolerate and try to resist is the peak — when an emotion and its sensations are rising in intensity, and it feels like it’s only ever going to get worse. Resisting this peak is like stopping the wave from being able to actually flow.
By releasing our resistance to the ocean wave, we are allowing the emotion to naturally ebb and pass on its own.
Letting go of resistance doesn’t mean letting yourself be ruled by emotions. It doesn’t mean letting yourself express every emotion that washes over you into the face of every person or object that you come across. It isn’t about having to be overwhelmed by them.
It’s just about learning to watch or ride that wave when necessary.
We can still use discernment, we can still use judgement. We can still choose to distract or inhibit when we need space from our feelings. The biggest word for me here is being able to choose — and knowing that we don't always have to resist our emotions and can instead just let them be, and still be okay, can empower us to have that choice.
For me letting go of resistance means again and again, giving kindness to yourself and the emotions you are experiencing.
The sensations, impulses, and thoughts that go along with emotions can feel very strong, but this doesn't mean we should necessarily act on any of the impulses listed here without first thinking about the impact of those actions.
The aim when using this list is to simply learn to navigate our feelings first so that we can understand our own internal experiences a little better. And we can start with the acronym NAV:
- Name what we're feeling
- Accept what we're feeling
- Validate what we're feeling
And then we can take informed action, if we need to.
And remember, be kind to yourself.
Grouped by emotion
Or skip to: all feeling words - all sensation words
Angry
Fearful
Disgusted
Sad
Joyful
Excited
Openhearted
Vulnerable
Anxious
Guilty
Ashamed
Feeling words
Or skip to: all sensation words
Angry
- Cold
- Distant
- Disapproving
- Frustrated
- Annoyed
- Irritated
- Resentful
- Critical
- Hurt
- Mad
- Pissed
- Hateful
- Hostile
- Irate
- Infuriated
- Enraged
- Aggressive
- Furious
- Raging
Fearful
- Afraid
- Hesitant
- Scared
- Wary
- Timid
- Unsure
- Uneasy
- Spooked
- Submissive
- Worried
- Afraid
- Frightened
- Startled
- Shocked
- Petrified
- Helpless
- Overwhelmed
- Terrified
- Submissive
Disgusted
- Repulsed
- Revolted
- Grossed out
- Turned off
- Offended
- Loathing
- Rejecting
- Sick
- Repugnance
- Aversion
- Avoidance
Sad
- Disappointed
- Despairing
- Down
- Apathetic
- Flat
- Withdrawn
- Empty
- Low
- Lonely
- Tender
- Yearning
- Raw
- Exposed
- Vulnerable
- Sensitive
- Moved
- Remorseful
- Despairing
- Devastated
- Awful
Anxious
- Nervous
- Confused
- Uneasy
- Worried
- Unsure
- Uncertain
- Avoidant
- Agitated
- Tense
- Tight
- Escalating
- Restless
- Overthinking
- Dread
Ashamed
- Insecure
- Inferior
- Embarrassed
- Flawed
- Worthless
- Disrespected
- Inadequate
- Isolated
- Withdrawn
- Ridiculed
- Vulnerable
- Unwanted
- Less than
Guilty
- Apologetic
- Regretful
- Remorseful
- Avoidant
- Responsible
- Meek
- Sheepish
- Mortified
- Burdensome
- Sorry
- Wrong
Vulnerable
- Exposed
- Defensive
- Uncertain
- Tender
- Sensitive
- Scared
- Weak
- Insecure
- Jealous
- At risk
- Protective
- Withdrawn
- Weak
- Daring
Joyful
- Cheerful
- Pleased
- Appreciative
- Content
- Optimistic
- Happy
- Creative
- Joyous
- Energetic
- Uplifted
- Connected
- Hopeful
- Wonderful
- Curious
- Amused
- Grateful
- Satisfied
- Vulnerable
Excited
- Energised
- Enthusiastic
- Stimulated
- Nervous
- Surprised
- Delighted
- Daring
- Courageous
- Eager
- Expansive
- Activated
- Amazed
- Exhilarated
- Fascinated
- Curious
- Interested
Openhearted
- Clear
- Calm
- Connected
- Courageous
- Compassionate
- Creative
- Content
- Curious
- Relaxed
- Playful
- Peaceful
- Grateful
- Hopeful
- Relieved
- Secure
Sensation words
Or go back to top
Angry
Fearful
Disgusted
Sad
Anxious
Ashamed
Guilty
Vulnerable
Joyful
Excited
Openhearted