Feelings Thermometer
Rate how strong a feeling is from 0 to 10, map out what each level looks like for you, and pick the coping skills that fit before things boil over.
About this tool
A feelings thermometer is a simple scale, usually 0 to 10, that turns the size of an emotion into a number you can see and talk about. The point is not just to label what you feel, but how much you feel it. The difference between a 3 and an 8 of anger is the difference between a quiet word and a slammed door, and noticing that early is what makes it possible to act before things escalate.
It is widely used with children and in anger management, anxiety work, and trauma recovery because it makes an abstract inner state concrete. Once you can put a number on a feeling, you can attach a plan to each level: what a 2 or 3 looks like and what gentle skill helps, all the way up to what a 9 or 10 looks like and what you need then. Many people find their warning signs become obvious once they are written down.
The real value is in catching the climb. Distress is far easier to manage at a 4 than at a 9, so the thermometer trains you to notice the early rungs and step in. Filling this in while calm, then keeping it handy, means you have a ready-made plan for the moment a feeling starts to rise.
- Gross JJ. Emotion regulation: current status and future prospects. Psychol Inq. 2015;26(1):1-26.
- Kazdin AE. The Kazdin Method for Parenting the Defiant Child. Houghton Mifflin; 2008.
Feelings Thermometer FAQ
What is a feelings thermometer?
A 0 to 10 scale for rating how strong an emotion is. It helps you notice the intensity of a feeling, not just its name, so you can step in with the right coping skill before it escalates.
How is it different from naming an emotion?
Naming tells you what you feel. The thermometer tells you how much. The difference between a 3 and an 8 of anger is huge, and the number guides which response you need.
Why fill it in when I am calm?
It is hard to plan when a feeling is at a 9. Mapping each level while calm gives you a ready-made plan to reach for in the moment, when clear thinking is harder.
Is this good for kids?
Yes. A thermometer is one of the most child-friendly emotion tools, because it turns an abstract feeling into something concrete a child can point to and talk about.
Is my information saved?
No. Everything stays in your browser. Your entries are never uploaded or stored, and the PDF is generated on your own device.