Self-awareness training
Use a feelings wheel to name what you feel
A feelings wheel groups emotion words so you can explore a broad feeling and then a more specific one. Insula presents those groups as buttons you can work through at your own pace.
Try the feelings wheel
Choose a broad feeling below to explore its related words. You can select the broader word with the “Just” button, go back with the breadcrumb, or select a more specific feeling. No account is needed for this demo.
How to use a feelings wheel
Choose one moment. Recall what happened just before you started the check-in. For example, a friend changed a plan at short notice.
Start broad. Ask whether sad, angry, scared, or another group is closest. You are choosing a starting point, not a correct answer.
Explore the wording. Read the related words and choose one that fits. You can stay with a broad word, use your own word in a reflection, or notice that several feelings are present.
Add the context. Finish “I feel ___ about ___.” Keep this separate from assumptions about someone else's intentions.
A worked example
“I feel bad” might become “I feel sad,” and then “I feel lonely because I was looking forward to company tonight.” Another person in the same situation might feel relieved. The wheel offers vocabulary; it does not tell you which response you should have.
Different wheels organise emotions differently. This picker is a reflection aid, not an exhaustive map of emotions or a diagnostic test.
What if none of the words fit?
Use an approximate word or simply write “I'm not sure yet.” You can describe a thought, an urge, or a sensation first and come back to the label. You do not have to select a more intense emotion just because it appears in the list.
From a feeling to a check-in
In the app, identifying a feeling is part of the check-in. You can also mark sensations on a body map before a guided self-reflection session. See our somatic awareness guide for how to describe sensations without assuming their cause.
For a practice you can do anywhere, try five self-awareness exercises or put the check-in into a five-minute mental training routine.
Train it, don't just read about it.
Practice with Insula's guided check-ins and reflection sessions. Start free, with no card required.
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