3. Focus on Feelings

Introductory Journal Exercises: Focus on Feelings

This exercise is to assist you in focusing on and describing your feelings. Writing down and sharing feelings is a key part of the journal process and is a means by which you come to know and understand your inner world. Try the following introductory exercises before moving on to the main part of the journal work.

Focusing on Happy Feelings

We experience many different kinds of happy feelings. Think of a time or occasion when you felt
happy and then describe the kind of happy you felt.

I felt happy when ______________________________________________________?

My happy feeling was like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Specifically, the physical sensations that I felt when I felt those feelings were
______________________________________________________________________
Describe these sensations in various parts of your body. Or describe your physical posture when you feel these feelings.

On a scale of 1 to 10 the intensity of those feelings were about a __________________

When I recall those feelings the images that best describe those feelings are like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

If I could give a color to these feelings it would be ______________________________
When I felt those feelings my inner conversation went something like ______________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

The behaviors that I tended to act out when I felt those feelings were ______________
______________________________________________________________________

The words that wanted to come out of my mouth when I felt those feelings were
______________________________________________________________________

Another time when I felt similar feelings was the time when ______________________
______________________________________________________________________
Could be a time that goes back to childhood or anytime in-between.

My biggest fears in sharing my feelings are

__________________________________________________

Focusing on Sad Feelings

This exercise is to assist you in focusing on and describing your feelings. Writing down and sharing
feelings is a key part of the journal process and is a means by which you come to know and
understand your inner world. Try the following introductory exercises before moving on to the main
part of the journal work.

We experience many different kinds of sad feelings. Think of a time or occasion when you felt sad
and then describe the kind of sad you felt.

I felt sad when ________________________________________________________?

My sad feeling was like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Specifically, the physical sensations that I felt when I felt those feelings were
______________________________________________________________________
Describe these sensations in various parts of your body. Or describe your physical posture when you feel these feelings.

On a scale of 1 to 10 the intensity of those feelings were about a __________________
When I recall those feelings the images that best describe those feelings are like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

If I could give a color to these feelings it would be ______________________________
When I felt those feelings my inner conversation went something like ______________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

The behaviors that I tended to act out when I felt those feelings were ______________
______________________________________________________________________

The words that wanted to come out of my mouth when I felt those feelings were
______________________________________________________________________
Another time when I felt similar feelings was the time when ______________________
______________________________________________________________________
Could be a time that goes back to childhood or anytime in-between.

My biggest fears in sharing my feelings are
______________________________________________________________________

Focusing on Angry Feelings

This exercise is to assist you in focusing on and describing your feelings. Writing down and sharing
feelings is a key part of the journal process and is a means by which you come to know and
understand your inner world. Try the following introductory exercises before moving on to the main
part of the journal work.

We experience many different kinds of angry feelings. Think of a time or occasion when you felt
angry and then describe the kind of angry you felt.

I felt angry when _______________________________________________________?

My angry feeling was like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Specifically, the physical sensations that I felt when I felt those feelings were
______________________________________________________________________
Describe these sensations in various parts of your body. Or describe your physical posture when you feel these feelings.

On a scale of 1 to 10 the intensity of those feelings were about a __________________
When I recall those feelings the images that best describe those feelings are like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

If I could give a color to these feelings it would be ______________________________

When I felt those feelings my inner conversation went something like ______________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

The behaviors that I tended to act out when I felt those feelings were ______________
______________________________________________________________________

The words that wanted to come out of my mouth when I felt those feelings were
______________________________________________________________________

Another time when I felt similar feelings was the time when ______________________
______________________________________________________________________
Could be a time that goes back to childhood or anytime in-between.

My biggest fears in sharing my feelings are
______________________________________________________________________

Focusing on What You are Feeling Right Now

This exercise is to assist you in focusing on and describing your feelings. Writing down and sharing
feelings is a key part of the journal process and is a means by which you come to know and
understand your inner world. Try the following introductory exercises before moving on to the main
part of the journal work.

We experience many different kinds of present feelings. See if you can connect with what you are
feeling right now as you are doing this exercise.

Right now I feel _______________________________________________________?

My right now feeling is like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Specifically, the physical sensations that I feel right now as I feel these feelings are
______________________________________________________________________
Describe these sensations in various parts of your body. Or describe your physical posture when you feel these feelings.

On a scale of 1 to 10 the intensity of these feelings are about a __________________

The image that best describes these feelings is like
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

If I could give a color to these feelings it would be ______________________________

When I feel these feelings my inner conversation goes something like ______________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

The behaviors that I tend to want to act out when I feel these feelings are ___________
______________________________________________________________________

The words that want to come out of my mouth when I feel these feelings are
______________________________________________________________________

Another time when I felt similar feelings was the time when ______________________
______________________________________________________________________
Could be a time that goes back to childhood or anytime in-between.

My biggest fears in sharing my feelings are
______________________________________________________________________

Go to the next journaling exercise:  Where am I now in my relationship

*Journaling exercises written by Cort Curtis, Ph.D, used with permission.