What’s My Brain Saying?
A Tool for Noticing and Naming Emotions
Your brain is constantly trying to make sense of what’s going on inside and around you. Based on your past experiences, it predicts what you might be feeling, what you might need, and how you might want to respond. That process is what we call emotion—but emotions aren’t hardwired reactions. They’re constructed by your brain, shaped by your body, context, history, and culture.
The chart below is designed to help you pause and ask:
“Given what I’m feeling in my body and the urges I notice… what might my brain be trying to say right now?”
You won’t find universal rules here—because emotions don’t work the same way for everyone. Instead, this tool gives you common patterns to explore and reflect on. It’s a place to start.
How to use this tool:
Scan for familiarity. Do any of the listed sensations, urges, or emotion names sound like your experience?
Stay curious. This is about exploration, not diagnosis. If your version of “anger” or “joy” feels different, that’s valid.
Try naming emotions more precisely. The more clearly you can describe what you’re feeling, the more options your brain has for responding.
Come back over time. Your emotional experiences might shift across situations, cultures, or seasons of life.
Why this works:
Research by neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett shows that emotions are not universal programs we’re born with—they are constructed interpretations. Tools like this one help increase emotional granularity, which improves emotional regulation, decision-making, and mental health.
