Back to overview
You're angry. Not a little angry. Really angry. Your body is buzzing. Thoughts are racing. You say things you didn't mean to say.
Afterward you think: where did that come from?
It comes from an amygdala that's faster than your conscious mind. From a brain that's already responded before you even know what's happening.
There's a simple technique that changes this. No big exercises, no long training. Just name what's there.
Affect labeling means: describe a feeling in words. "I'm angry right now." "This feels like disappointment." "I notice that I'm anxious."
That sounds trivial. But what happens in the brain isn't.
Lieberman et al. (2007) showed in an fMRI study: when people assigned a word to a face with a negative expression ("fear," "anger"), amygdala activation measurably decreased. Simultaneously, activation of the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex increased – exactly the region responsible for emotion regulation.
Naming a feeling activates the regulator. It lowers the alarm.
Dan Siegel, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, sums it up: "Name it to tame it." Knowing the name gives you distance. The distance you need to choose how you respond.
The ADHD brain reacts emotionally faster and more intensely. The prefrontal regulator is weaker. This means: the path from stimulus to reaction is shorter.
Affect labeling inserts a step in between. You're no longer just reaction – you're also observer. And this minimal shift in perspective changes what happens next.
It's no guarantee that the reaction will always be controlled. But it increases the probability that you choose, rather than just reacting.
1. Be as precise as possible
"Bad" or "okay" aren't feelings. "I'm frustrated right now because I feel like no one understands me" – that's a feeling.
The more precise the word, the stronger the regulating effect. This requires developing a vocabulary for emotions. That sounds odd, but it can be practiced.
2. Formulate as I-statements
Not "This is so frustrating!" – but "I am frustrated right now." The focus on your own experience rather than the external object is key. It's about naming the inner experience, not evaluating the outside world.
3. Include physical sensations too
Feelings have a physical side. "I notice my shoulders are tense." "I feel tightness in my chest." Naming physical sensations can have a similar regulating effect as naming the feeling itself.
4. Don't judge
"I'm angry – and that's stupid." That's not helpful affect labeling. The naming should be without evaluation: "I'm angry. That's what's here right now."
5. Keep it brief and concrete
Affect labeling doesn't need long sentences. One sentence is enough. The effect doesn't come from thoroughness – it comes from the act of naming itself.
Torre & Lieberman (2018) replicated and extended the earlier research: affect labeling not only reduces amygdala activation, but also improves implicit emotion regulation and reduces stress reactivity. The effect was robust across different samples and methods.
Particularly interesting: the effect occurs even when the person isn't explicitly trying to regulate their emotions. The mere act of naming – without any regulatory intention – is sufficient.
That means: you don't have to try to be less angry. You just have to say that you're angry.
Less than you might have thought. And it's enough.
---
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and does not replace medical or therapeutic advice.
- Lieberman, M.D., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. *Psychological Science*, 18(5), 421–428. [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17576282/)
- Torre, J.B., & Lieberman, M.D. (2018). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling as implicit emotion regulation. *Emotion Review*, 10(2), 116–124.
- Siegel, D.J. (2010). *Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation.* Bantam Books.
Naming Feelings
"Name it to tame it" – why words regulate emotions
The Feeling Has You – or You Have the Feeling
You're angry. Not a little angry. Really angry. Your body is buzzing. Thoughts are racing. You say things you didn't mean to say.
Afterward you think: where did that come from?
It comes from an amygdala that's faster than your conscious mind. From a brain that's already responded before you even know what's happening.
There's a simple technique that changes this. No big exercises, no long training. Just name what's there.
What Affect Labeling Is
Affect labeling means: describe a feeling in words. "I'm angry right now." "This feels like disappointment." "I notice that I'm anxious."
That sounds trivial. But what happens in the brain isn't.
Lieberman et al. (2007) showed in an fMRI study: when people assigned a word to a face with a negative expression ("fear," "anger"), amygdala activation measurably decreased. Simultaneously, activation of the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex increased – exactly the region responsible for emotion regulation.
Naming a feeling activates the regulator. It lowers the alarm.
Dan Siegel, psychiatrist and neuroscientist, sums it up: "Name it to tame it." Knowing the name gives you distance. The distance you need to choose how you respond.
Why This Is Especially Important with ADHD
The ADHD brain reacts emotionally faster and more intensely. The prefrontal regulator is weaker. This means: the path from stimulus to reaction is shorter.
Affect labeling inserts a step in between. You're no longer just reaction – you're also observer. And this minimal shift in perspective changes what happens next.
It's no guarantee that the reaction will always be controlled. But it increases the probability that you choose, rather than just reacting.
How to Practice Affect Labeling
1. Be as precise as possible
"Bad" or "okay" aren't feelings. "I'm frustrated right now because I feel like no one understands me" – that's a feeling.
The more precise the word, the stronger the regulating effect. This requires developing a vocabulary for emotions. That sounds odd, but it can be practiced.
2. Formulate as I-statements
Not "This is so frustrating!" – but "I am frustrated right now." The focus on your own experience rather than the external object is key. It's about naming the inner experience, not evaluating the outside world.
3. Include physical sensations too
Feelings have a physical side. "I notice my shoulders are tense." "I feel tightness in my chest." Naming physical sensations can have a similar regulating effect as naming the feeling itself.
4. Don't judge
"I'm angry – and that's stupid." That's not helpful affect labeling. The naming should be without evaluation: "I'm angry. That's what's here right now."
5. Keep it brief and concrete
Affect labeling doesn't need long sentences. One sentence is enough. The effect doesn't come from thoroughness – it comes from the act of naming itself.
Torre & Lieberman (2018)
Torre & Lieberman (2018) replicated and extended the earlier research: affect labeling not only reduces amygdala activation, but also improves implicit emotion regulation and reduces stress reactivity. The effect was robust across different samples and methods.
Particularly interesting: the effect occurs even when the person isn't explicitly trying to regulate their emotions. The mere act of naming – without any regulatory intention – is sufficient.
That means: you don't have to try to be less angry. You just have to say that you're angry.
Less than you might have thought. And it's enough.
---
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes and does not replace medical or therapeutic advice.
Sources
- Lieberman, M.D., et al. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. *Psychological Science*, 18(5), 421–428. [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17576282/)
- Torre, J.B., & Lieberman, M.D. (2018). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling as implicit emotion regulation. *Emotion Review*, 10(2), 116–124.
- Siegel, D.J. (2010). *Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation.* Bantam Books.