In coaching someone’s resilience, helping them to name the emotion or emotions they are feeling is often a turning point in the conversation. I actually carry the list of emotions that Elena Aguilar shares in The Onward Workbook in my coaching toolbox. I watch body language and listen beyond what is being said. I will offer the following: I sense that something is coming up for you and I am wondering if you would like to unpack it? I wonder if it would be helpful to look at this list of emotions and share what you are feeling? I then offer the list and allow the conversation to move towards unpacking the emotion. Naming our emotions is key to help us process them.
But what if you are feeling something that is not so easily identified on the list. In fact what if you aren’t sure if there is even a word for what you are feeling? Listen to the podcast from Ted Radio Hour, John Koenig: What If There Were a Word For Every Emotion In the World?
How important is it to have a word for an emotion we have? What is a word that you wish existed and what is the emotion that goes with it? Share in the comments to build our emotional vocabulary:)