Overview

  • Difficulty:
  • Best Use: Helps with staying emotionally regulated during high anxiety
  • Time: 3-5 min
  • Tools:

What to do

  1. Pause when you notice anxiety or strong emotions arising.
  2. Take a slow, calming breath to anchor yourself in the present.
  3. Clearly identify and gently label the emotion or sensation you're experiencing (e.g., "This is anxiety" or "I'm noticing sadness").
  4. Refrain from evaluating or judging the experience as good or bad; simply acknowledge it neutrally.
  5. Notice your body's physical sensations accompanying this emotion, labeling these sensations objectively (e.g., "tightness in chest").
  6. Allow the labeled experiences to naturally evolve or pass without trying to suppress or cling to them.
  7. Take another deep breath, reaffirming your neutral and compassionate stance towards your current experience.

When to use

Why it works

Labeling experiences without judgment helps reduce anxiety and stress by engaging mindfulness practices that create psychological distance from immediate emotional reactions. This approach quiets the brain's threat response, particularly in the amygdala, lowering overall emotional reactivity and stress levels. Regular practice builds emotional awareness, fosters cognitive restructuring, and significantly improves mood and emotional stability over time.

Benefits

  • Significantly lowers anxiety
  • Reduces depressive symptoms
  • Enhances emotional regulation
  • Helps individuals respond rather than react impulsively to stressors
  • Cultivates emotional clarity
  • Improves overall psychological resilience and mood stability

Tips

  • Practice regularly in both stressful and calm situations to strengthen your labeling skills.
  • Pair labeling experiences with deep breathing or grounding exercises for enhanced calming effects.
  • Remind yourself to adopt a compassionate, curious stance toward your emotions.
  • Use journaling to track labeled experiences, helping you recognize emotional patterns and progress over time.

What to expect

Variations

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions