In the moment
Name the feeling, out loud or on paper
Say or write the actual feeling in one sentence, nothing else
2 min
How to do it
When something is running hot, put it into one plain sentence: I feel furious that the meeting overran. Say it out loud or write it down. Don't solve it yet, just name it correctly.
What the evidence says
Putting a feeling into words measurably lowers the activity of the brain's alarm system, a result that has held up for two decades of research on naming feelings this way. Through the menopause transition, mood can spike faster than usual because of hormonal change, which is exactly when a tool that takes ten seconds earns its place.
