Name It to Tame It
Have you ever felt a wave of emotion hit you—frustration, sadness, anxiety—but you couldn’t quite put your finger on why?
This is where the practice of “Name it to tame it” comes in.
It’s simple, powerful, and rooted in brain science.
🧠 When you name what you’re feeling—“This is anxiety,” “I feel disappointed,” “I’m overwhelmed”—you shift activity from the emotional centers of the brain to the logical ones. That act of labeling gives you space. It softens the charge.
It’s not about fixing. It’s about noticing.
You don’t have to solve the emotion or push it away. Just name it. Acknowledge it. Breathe into it. You’ll find that it often starts to lose its grip.
💬 Example:
Instead of “I can’t take this anymore,” try, “I feel exhausted right now.”
That small shift rewires how you relate to your inner world—with presence, not panic.
✨ Try This:
Next time you’re emotionally stirred, pause. Place your hand on your heart and ask:
What am I feeling right now?
Then name it, gently.
That’s mindfulness.