How to use the wheel of emotions to improve your health

Emotions are complex. Sometimes you can feel two different emotions at once, while other times you may not know what you're feeling or what to do. To understand what's going on, psychologist Robert Plutchik simplified the range of potential emotional states into a visual model called the wheel of emotions .

Plutchik's Wheel of Emotions describes eight core emotions that lie at the heart of our experiences, reactions, and feelings. You can use this wheel as a starting point to analyze why you're feeling that way, what your emotions are trying to tell you, and what to do about it.

How the wheel of emotions works

Plutchik’s wheel of emotions is shaped like a colorful flower. Eight core emotions form the center of the flower, and each petal conveys different levels of those emotions. The distance between two petals represents how those emotions can be combined.

Different emotional intensities are sometimes described as follows:

• Primary Emotions: Primary emotions are located on the second circle from the middle and are considered the basis for all other emotions. These are the eight core emotions identified by Plutchik and all other emotions on the wheel are derived from these emotions.
• Secondary Emotions: Secondary emotions make up the outer circle. These emotions build on the primary emotion and are depicted in lighter colors because they are less intense than the primary emotion. For example, anxiety is a milder form of fear, which is why it is on the outer circle.
• Tertiary Emotions: At the innermost layer are tertiary emotions, which also build on the primary emotion but are more intense. Continuing with the fear example, terror — represented at the deepest layer — is a more intense version of fear.

Here is an overview of the primary emotions, their associated secondary and tertiary emotions:

• Sad: includes grief and melancholy
• Disgust: includes hatred and boredom
• Anger: includes anger and annoyance
• Anticipation: includes alertness and interest
• Joy: includes happiness and serenity
• Fear: includes terror and anxiety
• Surprise: includes astonishment and distraction
• Trust: includes admiration and acceptance

How to use the wheel of emotions to improve mental health

As a tool for labeling

Labeling is a powerful tool for stopping the emotional spirals that cause chaos in your mind. Instead of pushing emotions away, labeling can help you make sense of them.

Emotions and logical thinking occur in two different parts of the brain. Labeling takes you out of the emotional circuitry and pushes your thinking into the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that helps you reason and solve problems.

Try using the emotions wheel whenever you notice yourself feeling something, whether positive or negative. The more you practice labeling your emotions, the better you'll be able to choose how to respond.

As a tool for self-awareness

As you begin to pay attention to your emotions, whether through journaling, coaching, or some other form, you develop self-awareness.

The wheel of emotions can help you expand your emotional vocabulary.

For example, let's say you're feeling exhausted and having trouble staying motivated and focused on work. You might look up "optimism" on the emotion wheel and see that it's a combination of joy and anticipation.

Knowing the primary emotions that lie beneath the surface of your emotions can help you understand the triggers that trigger your emotional responses.

As an emotional regulator

Emotional regulation is the ability to remain calm, composed, and focused despite stress. People with strong emotional regulation skills are more resilient and perform better in teams.

Unfortunately, many people feel the first signs of discomfort and shut down. Instead of reacting to stress by trying to minimize it, you can use the wheel of emotions to identify your emotional needs.