From the archive of my former Russian website. Edited for this website.
Finding words for an experience
It is often difficult to name what we feel, especially when we are distressed or overwhelmed by emotions. Sometimes there is simply a state we do not know how to describe.
Naming our feelings and emotions is a small key to understanding ourselves. As an experience becomes clearer, it becomes easier to notice what support we need right now.
Using the wheel as a guide
One possible aid is Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions.
We can use it as a guide when looking for words. There is no need to find one exact label: sometimes a combination of feelings, or our own description, comes closer to what we are experiencing.