“When I started with NVC, I found it very difficult to express feelings. I simply didn’t know how to do it, nor could I put words to what I really felt… Sure, I could say:
I’m sad, I’m happy, I’m tired, and I’m angry… But, there are so many more feelings!
Below you’ll find a set of exercises to help you practice your vocabulary of feelings. The intention is to create a system for natural learning. To help you incorporate NVC training in your day to day life. The flashcards take a few minutes to set up, but when you have them installed on your phone, you can practice anywhere.
I’ve also used scenes from popular TV series to show you, that you can practice the awareness of feelings, even when you watch your favorite TV show. (A bit tricky in the beginning, but it’s so cool when you can guess what the person will say, just by observing their feelings.)
All in all, this block of exercise will take some time. My advice is to give it the time it needs. I promise it’ll be worth all your effort!”
//Anders
Challenge 1
The wider your vocabulary of feelings is, the easier it’ll be for you to identify your feelings, and the easier it’ll be to communicate them to other people.
– I’m happy
– I’m angry
– I feel tired
These are feelings most of us experience on regular basis. But when we think of it, we probably have different variations of them; for instance, I’m happy might be “I’m excited, or I’m proud” and with a richer feelings vocabulary, I might express “I’m angry” with feelings like annoyed, furious or pessimistic instead.
In NVC there are about 60 feelings. A list like that can be overwhelming. But with flashcards, you’ll not only learn faster, it will be more fun too!
We’ve created a deck of Digital Flashcards for feelings we feel when our needs are met.
On one side you see a description of the feeling + an image. On the other side, you find the feeling. If you prefer it, you can add your own images to the flashcards. (The more you personalize them, the better it is)
We suggest that you set aside a few minutes daily for this practice. By repeating these feelings, you’ll extend your feelings vocabulary quickly.
Getting started with Flashcards
Metod 2 - Online App
Metod 3 - Do it yourself
Challenge 2
Let’s add some more feelings to the flashcards. We have all the feelings we feel when a need isn’t met too! Follow the steps from Challenge 1 to install the flashcards on your phone.