Feelings Chart: Simple Descriptions of Common Feelings for All Ages

About this tool

A feelings chart is a printable reference that helps children and adults name emotions when finding words feels difficult. This chart pairs common feeling words with brief descriptions so you can point, read, or talk about what fits before deciding what kind of support you need. A feelings chart is the simplest version of an emotion reference: a short list of common feelings, each with a plain description, so anyone can point to what they are experiencing. It is a staple in classrooms, family homes, and therapy rooms because it removes the hardest first step, which is finding the words at all.

For children, a chart builds emotional literacy: the basic ability to recognize and name feelings. That skill is the foundation of self-regulation, because a child who can say 'I feel frustrated' is far better placed to ask for help than one who can only act it out. For adults, the same chart works as a quick check-in, a way to pause and name a mood before reacting to it.

The descriptions below are kept short and concrete on purpose. They are meant to confirm a feeling, not to define it perfectly. Use the chart as a starting point: once you or a child can name the basic feeling, you can get more specific, talk about what caused it, and decide what might help.

Naming feelings is part of emotional intelligence research and approaches such as RULER, developed by Marc Brackett and colleagues at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER includes recognizing, understanding, labeling, expressing, and regulating emotions. The chart can support practice with feeling words, although it is not the full RULER program. Work by developmental psychologist Susan Denham links emotional competence in early childhood with school readiness and relationships with peers and teachers. Naming is a starting point that can lead to understanding the cause and choosing a response.

One common mistake is stopping at the first word that seems close enough. Angry and frustrated can look alike on a chart but often call for different responses, and a feeling can also be layered, for example scared underneath angry. Encourage a second pass: after naming the first feeling, ask if there is another one sitting underneath it.

If big feelings are frequent, intense, or hard to bring back down even with naming and support, that is worth raising with a pediatrician, school counselor, or therapist. A feelings chart is a starting point for building the vocabulary, not a substitute for support when emotions are affecting sleep, school, friendships, or family life. Psychology.com's therapist directory can help you find a provider who works with children or families.

The technique of putting emotions into words is also called affect labeling. In a laboratory brain-imaging study, Matthew Lieberman and colleagues found that labeling emotional images was associated with lower amygdala activity than comparison tasks. The amygdala is involved in processing emotionally significant information. This finding offers a possible explanation for why naming emotions may help, but it does not show that this printable chart treats anxiety or reliably stops distress.

A chosen word is a description of the moment, not a diagnosis or a fixed personality trait. Try adding the situation and a request: I feel frustrated because the task is confusing, and I would like help starting. Mixed feelings also fit. Someone can feel proud of a change and worried about what comes next without needing to select a single correct answer.

When using the chart with a child, model a check-in with your own words and leave room for the child to disagree with your guess. Pointing is an acceptable response. Avoid turning the chart into a quiz or requiring a public explanation in a classroom. If talking is too difficult in the moment, offer support and return to the chart when the child is willing. Keep the feeling separate from the behavior you need to address. For example, you might say, 'You feel angry that playtime ended. I will help you put the toy down safely.' Accepting the feeling does not require allowing hitting or hurtful words. Avoid using happy or calm as the answer a child must choose to earn praise.

For adults who struggle to find a word, begin with a description such as tense, heavy, restless, or uncertain, then see whether an emotion word fits. Body sensations can prompt reflection, but they do not prove a particular emotion. You can also write your own word beside the chart if the printed options do not describe your experience. If the chart's wording feels unfamiliar, try describing the feeling in the language you use most comfortably, then look for a close match together. Treat the printed descriptions as prompts rather than corrections to someone's own account. A useful check-in might end with a clearer request for company, space, or help, even when the feeling itself has not changed.

The Emotion Faces Chart and Emotion Cards offer other ways to start a conversation. The Feelings Thermometer helps describe intensity, while the Feelings Wheel expands the vocabulary available to you. The Alexithymia Test is a self-assessment for adults reflecting on difficulty identifying and describing feelings; it cannot diagnose a condition. The tools library offers related exercises for continued practice.

Reviewed by Michael Callans, MSW
Reviewed the feeling words and descriptions for accuracy and age-appropriate clarity.

References

1. Brackett MA, et al. Emotional intelligence and emotion regulation: implications for child and adult development. In: Handbook of Emotion Regulation. Guilford Press; 2014.
2. Denham SA. Social-emotional competence as support for school readiness. Early Educ Dev. 2006;17(1):57-89.
3. Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. RULER. https://medicine.yale.edu/childstudy/services/community-and-schools-programs/center-for-emotional-intelligence/ruler/
4. Lieberman MD, Eisenberger NI, Crockett MJ, Tom SM, Pfeifer JH, Way BM. Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17576282/

Feelings Chart FAQ