Take a moment to clear your mind, close your eyes, and take a deep breath. Then ask yourself — how are you feeling right now? Come up with one or several one word answers to describe the emotions you're feeling.
Often one word might stand out a little more. Does one feeling stand out? Sometimes there a few. It's possible to even have opposite feelings at the same time. For example, excited and nervous.
This simple practice is a great way to be aware of your emotions.
Being more aware of your emotions is a skill that can help you:
know yourself better
feel better about things and cope better
be less self-critical
pause instead of act on difficult emotions & more
Kidshealth.org outlines five ways to practice being more aware of your emotions:
Notice and name your feelings.
Track one emotion. Pick one emotion. Track it all day. Notice how often you feel it.
Learn new words for feelings.
Keep a feelings journal. Take a few minutes each day to write about how you feel and why.
Notice feelings in art, songs, and movies.
"Remind yourself that all your emotions are normal. But how you act on emotions matters a lot. When you know your emotions, you're better able to make wise choices about how to act — no matter what you're feeling."
Read the article for full details and more information on this great technique here: https://www.kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-awareness.html#catbest-self