What is labeling emotions?

Cognitive therapy is a type of therapy that helps individuals manage their emotions and behaviors by identifying and changing negative and unhelpful thought patterns. A key aspect of cognitive therapy is labeling emotions. 

What is Labeling Emotions? 

Labeling emotions is the act of acknowledging and identifying the emotions a person is experiencing. For example, if someone is feeling sad, they might say, "I'm feeling sad right now." 

Labeling emotions is an important part of cognitive therapy because it helps individuals become more aware of their emotions and allows them to better manage them. 

Recognize - Label - Accept

Emotions are not facts but they can throw us off the rails. Just like thoughts, they can’t be controlled but need to be regulated. 

You have just left a meeting at work where your co-worker had presented your idea as their own, leading for them to receive appraisal and having a lead on the project . You feel flustered, and boiling of anger.

You can not decide “not to be angry and be a team player” but you can  recognize, label and accept your emotions. 

Where do I feel my anger? 

Is there a knot in my stomach? Is my pulse elevated? Do I feel hot?

What lies behind my anger?

Betrayal, you might feel betrayed by your colleague and boss. 

Humiliation, you might feel like a small child inside wanting to scream “NO, that was MY idea!” 

Disappointment, you might be disappointed in yourself for not speaking up for yourself. “Why am I such a pushover?” 

Sadness, you feel sad for missing an opportunity to advance your career, you might be sad because you have been treated unfairly. 

Beneath the very simple reaction of anger lie many different emotions that can’t be turned off just because you “need to be a team player” and that’s perfectly normal. 

You  are allowed to feel sad, betrayed, and disappointed. Once you have recognized and labeled your emotions you can start to regulate them. Act on them or accept them. 

Actions and acceptance

Tell your coworker - “You stealing my idea and presenting it as your own has left me feeling really betrayed. I feel disappointed in you, for doing it, and disappointed in myself for trusting you. I’m sad this is how you decided to use our professional mutual trust. I will work with you on this project, but I want to be honest with you, that I find it very hard to trust you, or your abilities to lead through this successfully”  

and/or

Speak with your manager and present your case. “My idea was stolen and I feel sad about it. I will work happily work on this project based on my idea, but I want to be honest with you, that I find it very hard to trust the team leader, or their abilities to lead through this successfully” 

or

Acknowledge and accept your emotions and continue working as normally but being more careful on who to trust from now on. 

The fact is that not always do we have the chance on acting on our emotions and we need to accept them and live with them. Fear of loosing a job is very real constraint on acting on your emotions.

Why is Labeling Emotions Important? 

Labeling emotions is important in cognitive therapy for several reasons. 

Firstly, it helps you to become more aware of your emotions. Many people are not accustomed to identifying and acknowledging their feelings, which can lead to a lack of self-awareness and difficulty managing emotions. Labeling emotions helps you to become more in touch with your feelings (anger) and better understand your emotional responses (elevated heart rate, hot flushes etc). 

Secondly, labeling emotions allows you to better manage your emotions. Once you are  aware of your emotions, you can learn to regulate those emotions more effectively. For example, if someone is feeling anxious, they might engage in relaxation techniques to help calm themselves down. By labeling their feelings, they are able to identify the appropriate coping mechanisms to use. 

How to Incorporate Labeling Emotions into Cognitive Therapy? 

Therapists can incorporate labeling emotions into cognitive therapy by teaching their clients to identify and label their feelings. They can do this by asking their clients to describe how they are feeling in the moment and providing a vocabulary for different emotions. For example, a therapist might provide a list of emotions, such as happy, sad, angry, or anxious, and ask their clients to identify which emotions they are experiencing. Another way therapists can incorporate labeling emotions into cognitive therapy is by teaching their clients to use "I" statements. When someone uses "I" statements, they take ownership of their emotions and express them in a way that is less likely to blame others. For example, instead of saying, "You're making me feel angry," someone might say, "I'm feeling angry right now." 

Finally, therapists can encourage their clients to keep a journal or log of their emotions. This can help clients become more aware of their emotions and identify patterns in their emotional responses. The therapist can then use this information to help the client develop coping mechanisms that are tailored to their individual needs.