Month: September 2026

Affect labeling is the process of naming an emotional state using one word or phrase.

By naming the emotion or feeling, you move from the emotional center of the brain, the amygdala to the processing part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex.

Just by naming the emotion you are feeling activates the thinking part of your brain and reduces the activity of the amygdala, the part of the brain that regulates the fight or flight response.

The shift in the neural activity in turn reduces the physical effects of stress.

You can use the “Wheel of Emotions” to help you name what you are feeling.

In his 2007 study, Dr. Matthew Lieberman found that by naming the emotion in real time stress is reduced by 50% within 90 seconds.

Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli: Research article. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421-428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x

Another tool to process difficult experiences is journaling. Dr. James Pennebaker. He found that by writing 15-20 minutes a day about a traumatic event led to changes like: reduced stress, better immune function ,and brain function. By journaling you are forcing your brain to organize raw emotional data into a structured story which changes how the memory is stored.

Read more about the process here: Expressive writing therapy

The Relaxation Response 

Essential Elements To achieve the response, the book outlines four basic requirements: 

1. A quiet environment to minimize distractions. 
2. A mental device (such as a repeated word, sound, or prayer) to focus attention. 
3. A passive attitude where you let distracting thoughts pass without judgment. 
4. A comfortable posture. 

How to Practice: 

• Find a quiet place: Sit in a comfortable position without any distractions.  
• Close your eyes: Let your body settle and soften your gaze.  
• Relax your muscles: Release tension starting from your feet and move slowly up toward your face.  
• Breathe through your nose: Focus on your natural breathing pattern.  
• Repeat a focus word: Say the word “one” silently to yourself every time you breathe out. You can also use a peaceful word or short phrase like “peace” or “all is well”.  
• Maintain a passive attitude: When your mind wanders—which is completely normal—gently let go of the distracting thoughts and return your focus to the word “one”.  
• Time your session: Continue for 10 to 20 minutes. Do not use an alarm; you may open your eyes to check the clock.  
• Finish slowly: Sit quietly for a few minutes with your eyes closed, then open them before returning to your regular activity 

Physical Benefits 

• Lower Blood Pressure: Slows breathing and heart rate to reduce hypertension. 
• Reduced Oxygen Consumption: Decreases metabolic activity and muscle tension. 
• Improved Genomic Health: Triggers positive anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative gene expression changes. 
• Enhanced Blood Flow: Widens arteries slightly to improve overall circulation.  

Mental and Emotional Benefits 

• Lower Stress and Anxiety: Calms the nervous system to ease emotional distress. 
• Better Focus: Improves concentration and cognitive task performance. 
• Pain Management: Relieves chronic pain symptoms and muscle strain. 
• Improved Sleep: Lowers fatigue and helps combat insomnia 

For more reading:

The Relaxation Response by Dr. Herbert Benson

Beyond the Relaxation Response by Dr. Herbert BensonBenson Henry Institute

Brain scans show these 6 sentences reduce anxiety activity in seconds:

• I’m feeling _______
  • Naming the emotion physically calms your brain Lieberman’s UCLA FMRI study (2007) showed labeling feelings reduces the amygdala activity and lights up the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for regulation.
  • Name the feeling and the study showed a 50% reduction of the intensity of the emotion within 90 seconds
• “[Your name], you’re going to be ok.”
  • Talking to yourself in the third person creates emotional distance
  • Ethan Kross’s brain imaging research at eh University of Michigan (2017) found this drops neural markers of emotional reactivity, without using extra mental effort
  • It gives your brain instant access to the calmer part of itself.
• “This is uncomfortable, not dangerous.”
  • Reframing sensation as safe is called cognitive reappraisalOchsner and Gross’s fMRI research at Columbia shows it directly lowers amygdala activity and strengthens
  prefrontal
  • control
  • This is the exact mechanism behind Cognitive Behavior Therapy, the most researched anxiety treatment in the world
• “This will pass.”
  • Reminding yourself the intensity is temporary is called temporal distancing
  • Bruehlman-Senecal & Ayduk’s 2015 study (Journal of Personality and social Psychology) found this along significantly reduces emotional distress in the moment.
  • Your brain calms faster when it remembers the wave is ending
• “I’ve felt this before. My body came down.”
  • Recalling past evidence of safety updates  your brain‘s threat prediction
  • This is the same process used in exposure therapy to help brains unlearn fear responses.
  • Every time you remember surviving it, the alarm gets a little quieter

From @health_anxiety on Instagram by Taylor Barone, MS,RDN