Enrichment · Wellbeing

Find the word
that actually fits.

Bad, fine and stressed cover a lot of ground. Disappointed, left out and nervous each ask for something different. For each moment that stands out, write the first word that came to mind, then choose a more precise one, notice where you felt it and write what it was about. Over time the journal shows your vocabulary growing and the body signals that warn you first.

Add a momentWhat you get

Moments

The worked example is made up: four moments from two weeks of eleventh grade. Saved on this device only.

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What you get

Enrichment · WellbeingFree

What you finish with
An entry per emotional moment: what happened, the first word that came to mind, a more precise word from a list of 24, how strong it was (1 to 5), body signals, what it was about and what you needed, what you did and whether it helped. Shows how many everyday first words became precise, how many different words you used, the body signal that shows up most and the average strength; flags a strong feeling pushed down and a response that did not help.
Who it is for
Students in grades 6 to 12 and college; teachers and school counselors teaching emotional vocabulary.
Format
Browser journal with a saved entry per moment. Prints one moment, every moment in a table or a blank page; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
Free. No account, no sign-in and nothing to install. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Wellbeing space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Pick a moment from today that stood out, big or small.
  2. Write the first word that came to mind, even if it is just “bad”.
  3. Choose the word from the list that fits better, and rate how strong it was.
  4. Tick where you felt it, and write what it was about.
  5. Note what you did and whether it helped, so next time you have options.

Add a moment

Why precise words help

From “bad” to the word that fits1Catch the first wordBad, mad, fine and stressedare a start, not an answer.2Ask: bad howDisappointed, embarrassed andleft out need different3Check your bodyA hot face, a knot in thestomach, heavy limbs: clues.4Ask what it is aboutMost feelings point atsomething that matters to you.5Name what you needFairness, rest, news, company:then choose what to do.From “bad” to the word that fits1Catch the first wordBad, mad, fine and stressed are a start,not an answer.2Ask: bad howDisappointed, embarrassed and left outneed different things.3Check your bodyA hot face, a knot in the stomach, heavylimbs: clues.4Ask what it is aboutMost feelings point at something thatmatters to you.5Name what you needFairness, rest, news, company: thenchoose what to do.
People who can tell their feelings apart in fine detail tend to cope better under stress. Like any vocabulary, it grows with use.

Naming calms

When people put a feeling into words, brain imaging shows less activity in the amygdala, the brain’s alarm system. A precise word does more of this work than a vague one.

Telling feelings apart

Psychologists call the skill emotion differentiation. People high in it are less likely to turn to unhelpful ways of coping, such as lashing out, when they are under stress.

Feelings carry information

Resentment often points at unfairness, disappointment at something you cared about, nervousness at something uncertain. If a feeling stays heavy for weeks, talk with a parent, a teacher, your school counselor or a doctor.

Sources

  1. Lieberman, M. D., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421 to 428.
  2. Kashdan, T. B., Barrett, L. F., and McKnight, P. E. (2015). Unpacking emotion differentiation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(1), 10 to 16.
  3. Barrett, L. F. (2017). How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
  4. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (988lifeline.org): call or text 988, chat online, 24 hours a day.

The worked example is made up. This journal is for building awareness; it is not counseling or a diagnosis. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.