Free feelings wheel
Interactive feelings wheel: name what you feel, then reset
A feelings wheel, also called an emotion wheel, is a circle of feeling words that helps you move from a vague "I feel bad" to a more exact word like overwhelmed, let down or on edge. Tap the interactive wheel on this page to name how you feel right now, and it shows you the reset matched to that feeling, with a short version you can try for free.
By Amanda Perry, founder of Reset Buddy and author of From Burnout to Breakthrough
Updated 29 October 2026
Try it now
How are you right now?
Tap the word closest to how you feel. Naming it is the first step of every reset.
What is a feelings wheel?
Most of us only have two words for how we feel: "stressed" and "fine". A feelings wheel gives you more. Broad feelings sit closest to the centre, and each one opens out into more specific words around it.
The best-known version is the Feeling Wheel that Gloria Willcox published in 1982, and there are many variations, including Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions. Therapists, coaches and teachers use them to help people find words for what's going on inside.
The wheel on this page is Reset Buddy's own, in plain everyday words. It has nine feeling families and 54 words, and it's the first step of every reset in the app.
How to use a feelings wheel
Start broad
Pick the family closest to how you feel right now: anxious, angry, sad, overwhelmed, frustrated and so on. Don't overthink it.
Get more exact
Look at the words inside that family and choose the one that fits best. Close enough is fine.
Say it to yourself
"I'm feeling overloaded." "I'm feeling let down." One word counts.
Then do something with it
A few slow breaths, a short reset matched to that feeling, or one small next step. Naming it is the start, not the whole thing.
Why naming a feeling may help
Researchers call it affect labelling. In a UCLA brain-imaging study, putting a feeling into words reduced activity in the amygdala, the brain's threat detector, and increased activity in a region linked to regulation (Lieberman et al., 2007, Psychological Science). Naming it more precisely, like "let down" instead of just "bad", may help a little more.
That's also why naming is only step one. Across 306 experiments, turning attention to something else helped people manage emotions, while dwelling on the feeling made things worse (Webb, Miles and Sheeran, 2012). So in Reset Buddy you name it, then breathe, then do something with your hands.
The honest limits: the effects are modest, short-term and mostly measured in labs. The wheel format itself hasn't been tested in trials, though the act of naming has. People also tend to underestimate labelling, so it may not feel like much while you're doing it. Read more on our science page.
Feelings wheel words to try
These are the words on the wheel above. Read down the list and notice which one makes you think, "yes, that one".
Anxious
worried, uneasy, nervous, afraid, uncertain, on edge
Angry
irritated, resentful, furious, disappointed, fed up, provoked
Sad
low, lonely, grieving, discouraged, heavy, tearful
Hurt
rejected, let down, misunderstood, betrayed, vulnerable, left out
Ashamed
embarrassed, guilty, self-critical, exposed, inadequate, regretful
Overwhelmed
pressured, overloaded, flooded, frantic, scattered, trapped
Disconnected
numb, empty, distant, shut down, detached, exhausted
Positive or mixed
relieved, hopeful, grateful, calm, conflicted, unsure
Frustrated
blocked, stuck, impatient, powerless, annoyed, thwarted
After you've named it
If the word you landed on is overwhelmed, try the guide for when everything feels too much. If your chest is tight, start with the physiological sigh. If your mind is racing and you want an even count to follow, use the box breathing timer. For a longer reset, try the 5-minute nervous system reset.
Want something to keep on your phone for next time? The free Right-Now Reset Kit puts six two-minute resets on one pocket card.
Keep going
More free tools and guides
- Physiological sighTwo breaths in through the nose, one long breath out. A guided reset in under a minute.
- Box breathing timerIn 4, hold 4, out 4, hold 4. A free guided timer with a square to follow.
- 5-minute nervous system resetBreathe, shake it out, ground yourself, take one small step. Guided and free.
- When everything feels too muchA free 90-second reset, then six steps for calming down when you're overwhelmed.
- Overwhelmed at workA discreet 90-second reset for your desk, between meetings and before your inbox.
- The science behind the resetsThe published research behind each technique, graded honestly, with its limits.
- Free Right-Now Reset KitSix two-minute resets on one pocket card, sent to your inbox.
Tap a feeling, get a matched 2 to 5 minute reset.
In the app, the wheel goes further: pick the exact word, breathe with a calm orb, then do one simple activity chosen for that feeling. Try the free version first, then start your free trial if it helps.
Start your free trial. After that, $4.99 a week, $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year. Cancel any time.