Feelings Wheel

Assessment & Discovery Tools

Build the vocabulary to identify and work with your emotional experience.

Feelings Wheel

Emotional vocabulary is a practical skill. People who can name their emotional state with precision are better positioned to understand what is driving their behavior, communicate clearly with others, and make deliberate decisions rather than reactive ones.

Most people operate with a small set of working emotional labels - stressed, fine, frustrated, good. This tool expands that vocabulary. The four categories here - Sad, Mad, Happy, Scared - are broad enough to be immediately recognizable, but each contains a range of more specific states. There is a meaningful difference between feeling isolated and feeling confused, or between feeling irritated and feeling furious. That specificity matters in coaching.

Use this as a reference when you're trying to name what you're experiencing, or as a starting point before completing the Feelings Wheel Reflection worksheet.

How to Use This Reference

  1. When you notice you're having a strong emotional reaction, start with the broad category (Sad, Mad, Happy, Scared) and locate the right quadrant.
  2. Scan the specific terms within that quadrant. Notice which words come closest to what you're experiencing. You may land on more than one.
  3. If none of the words quite fit, use the closest one as a starting point and see if it can be refined further - the goal is precision, not a perfect label.
  4. Bring the specific terms to a coaching session, journaling practice, or the Feelings Wheel Reflection worksheet to explore what they reveal.
1

Identify the broad category, then find the specific term that best describes what you're experiencing.

Sad
Hurt Upset Lonely Deserted Isolated Depressed Confused Wounded
Mad
Angry Annoyed Hateful Irritated Contentious Jealous Frustrated Distressed Lacking Furious
Happy
Excited Joyful Calm Peaceful Relaxed Enthusiastic Cheerful Fascinated Daring
Scared
Helpless Anxious Insecure Defenseless Powerless Overwhelmed Worried Agitated Fearful
2

Tandem Coaching Partners

Credentialed coaches with real-world leadership experience,
partnering with executives and organizations
to unlock sustainable growth.

Consultation

tandemcoach.co/
contact-us

Email

info@tandemcoach.co

Phone

855 51 COACH

Challenge your thinking.
Discover your capabilities.
Act on them.

Dallas, TX  |  Houston, TX  |  Worldwide Virtual