Fall officially starts today, and my body had opinions about it before I did. Darker morning, that low hum of too much to do before the year runs out, a mood I couldn’t put a finger on when I sat down with my coffee. Just off. Wound a little tight for no reason I could point to.
So I reached for the simplest reset I know. I named it. Out loud, kind of stupid sounding, alone in the kitchen: “I’m anxious about the quarter.” That was it. UCLA researchers have a name for why that helps, affect labeling. Put a feeling into actual words and the emotional alarm center of your brain, the amygdala, measurably settles. Naming the thing turns the volume knob to the left.
We burn a lot of energy trying to make hard feelings disappear. We push them down and power through. The reset runs the other way, and it’s smaller than that. You turn toward the feeling just long enough to give it a name. Angry. Overwhelmed. Grieving. Scared. The naming is what takes the air out of it.
That’s the whole gap between reacting and responding. A name, dropped into the space between what you feel and what you do next. You can’t set down a thing you won’t admit you’re holding.
I forget this constantly. Spent most of yesterday snippy and blaming my calendar before I stopped and admitted I was just plain worried. Named it, and the edge came off inside a minute.
So what’s the feeling you’ve been hauling around unnamed today, and what happens if you actually say it out loud?
Wednesday, we get back to the reps.
Quick heads-up before you go. This Friday, September 25, Will and I will be in Charlotte for Warrior Defined, a full day on men’s mental health. If you’re close, come say hey and catch the rest of the lineup: https://warriordefined.com
Curious where your stress and focus sit right now? The free Focus Score gives you a quick, private read in under 5 minutes.
Take your Focus Score: https://focusnowtraining.com/focus-score