Feelings Wheel Worksheets

The emotions or feelings wheel designed by Gloria Willcox, (and based on a model by Robert Plutchik) is a visual aid that helps us pinpoint what we are feeling.

I’ve found it so helpful, so I wanted to create my own version.

As someone who spent the majority of her life being depressed - I have a complicated relationship with feelings.

From the ages of 11-24, my feeling range was empty- sad- hopeless- rage- anxiety. Every other feeling felt so watered down it was like I couldn't even "taste" it. When I started focusing on my mental health and I got help for my depression all of these wonderful feelings opened up.

I promised myself I'd never be sad again.

That's not healthy though, right? As humans, we can't just flip a switch and feel nothing but happy things all the time. I was so afraid that every "bad" emotion meant depression. Any feeling that wasn't happy I'd ignore it and push it away. But feelings don't work like that. They have to come out somehow and all of those emotions I was stuffing down would eventually find their way out.

I had to learn that every emotion that I feel is important. Processing, not ignoring, those emotions is something that we just have to do.

The Feelings Wheel is a great tool for that.

It will help you understand what's behind your feelings so that you can cope with them in healthier ways.