Our feelings are responsible for making sense of our experiences in life. They help us survive, form and maintain connections with those around us. They are also one of the important factors in motivating us to do things. Since ‘feelings’ have such an important role in understanding our conscious experiences, it is vastly beneficial for us to be Recognising Our Feelings.

If I ask you right now “how do you feel?”, you’ll probably say “I am feeling… happy, sad, angry, etc”. Sometimes you may take a minute to observe or recognise how you are feeling about something. If you are still unable to point out an exact feeling towards something, you may finally say “I am feeling okay”. But the real question is, ‘What Does it Mean to Feel “OKAY”?’

Our body tells us what we are feeling through sensations. For example, a hollowness in the stomach could mean you are feeling anxious, or if your face is flushed, it could be because you are feeling embarrassed. 

There may not always be clear indicators to your feelings, like a ‘heaviness’ in the chest or a ‘weakness’ in the knees. Yet, it is beneficial to recognise our feelings. Simply recognising our feelings and naming our emotions can give us a sense of relief and clarity.

Recognising our feelings can sometimes be a bit of a task, but there are methods to help you get there. Let’s take the help of the checklist down below. Read the list of emotions below and ask yourself patiently which feeling you are most likely experiencing now. The word ‘now’ is key.