Understanding the spectrum of feelings can significantly enhance our effectiveness as enablers of change. Sometimes we’re not very good at this, and by “we”, we could mean Australian and New Zealand males in particular! In this episode, we’re going to explore the spectrum of feelings, so we can better describe and understand feelings, and the impact they have in our day-to-day work.
Let’s start with the difference between emotions and feelings, as they are often used interchangeably. Emotions are a set of complex reactions triggered by specific stimuli, involving physiological changes and behavioural responses. For example, if you encounter a snarling dog, your immediate emotional response might be fear—this could be a dangerous situation. This emotion triggers a rapid heartbeat, an adrenaline rush, and the impulse to either flee or defend yourself. Emotions can be unconscious or conscious sensations in your body.
Our feelings are influenced by our emotions, but are our subjective response. While the emotion of fear triggers an automatic and often unconscious response to the threat, fight or flight, the feelings are generated from our conscious awareness and interpretation of that emotion. If we’re in a situation where we are feeling fearful, we might feel a tightness in our chest, a sense of dread, or an overwhelming urge to escape. These feelings are helping us make sense of the emotional response and help us tell a story about what is going on.
Unfortunately the story we might be telling ourselves might not be that helpful. That’s where the Feelings wheel, originally developed by Dr. Gloria Willcox in the early 1980s, offers a comprehensive tool for identifying and understanding our feelings. The wheel starts with what she identifies as seven core feelings and then branches out into more specific feelings. This structured approach helps us recognise and articulate our feelings and emotions more effectively.
For instance, starting from a core feeling like “angry,” we can trace this feeling to more specific feelings such as “frustrated,” “humiliated,” or even “bitter,” depending on the intensity and context. This detailed mapping helps us develop self-awareness but also helps us explain and communicate with others. Over time, various versions of the wheel have been developed that have expanded the range of feelings and help us with our vocabulary.
These wheels are valuable in a range of settings. For us as enablers of change, understanding the nuances of human feelings is invaluable. We often work closely with farmers and rural communities, where effective communication and relationship-building are critical. By recognising the feelings that may be showing, we can better navigate challenging conversations, provide more empathetic support, and tailor our approaches to meet the needs of our clients. For example, a farmer facing crop failure might experience a mix of sadness, fear, and anger. An extension practitioner aware of the feelings wheel could recognise these and respond appropriately.
Empathy, a key component of emotional intelligence, plays a critical role in building trust and rapport with farmers. By perceiving and understanding the feelings of others, we can better respond to their needs and concerns. Recognising a farmer’s anxiety about adopting new technology, for instance, can guide us to provide additional support and reassurance, thereby easing the transition. The feelings wheel helps identify these nuanced emotions and respond appropriately, such as differentiating between a farmer’s anxiety and their fear, allowing for more targeted and effective communication.
Identifying and managing our own emotions helps us build resilience and wellbeing. Agricultural extension often involves dealing with setbacks and resistance, which can be emotionally taxing. Practitioners who can recognise and regulate their feelings can maintain their motivation and effectiveness over the long term. The feelings wheel can serve as a valuable tool for self-reflection, helping us navigate our feelings.
A holistic approach to extension work, which considers both technical knowledge and emotional competence, is essential for addressing the complex challenges facing modern agriculture. The feelings wheel, with its detailed mapping of feelings, can enhance our emotional literacy.
In conclusion, the feelings wheel offers us a useful framework for exploring the complexity of human feelings. But we don’t want this to be just a one-way conversation—we’d love to hear your thoughts! Have you used the feelings wheel in your work or personal life? How has it changed your approach to understanding feelings? Perhaps you have a story about how understanding your feelings has improved your interactions with farmers. Share your experiences in the comments below!
If you’ve found this exploration of feelings valuable, why not subscribe to our newsletter? You’ll be the first to know when we release new content delving into topics like this. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with your colleagues and friends—let’s make it common practice to reflect and talk about our feelings which are our responses to emotions!
Resources
Plutchik, R. (2001). The nature of emotions: Human emotions have deep evolutionary roots, a fact that may explain their complexity and provide tools for clinical practice. American Scientist, 89(4), 344-350.
PositivePsychology.com. (n.d.). The emotion wheel: What it is and how to use it. Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/emotion-wheel
Roberts, G. (2015). The Feelings Wheel. https://feelingswheel.com
Willcox, G. (1982). The Feeling Wheel: A Tool for Expanding Awareness of Emotions and Increasing Spontaneity and Intimacy. Transactional Analysis Journal, 12(4), 274-276. https://doi.org/10.1177/036215378201200411
If I know I’m under-slept or stressed, I’ll mention it as a compassionate heads-up. It helps create a healthier environment because everyone’s on the same page. If I’m having a tough day, I’d want others to be patient with me, so I try to offer that same patience to others—especially when they might not show it outright.
It would be cool to know which feelings are interconnected. Does being shocked often lead to the same other feelings for most people? I wonder which feelings across the spectrum are aligned.
Henry, I like how you share your emotional wellbeing, as it shows openness and vulnerability, which helps build trust. According to Robert Plutchik, who uses a slightly different model, the primary emotions can blend into more complex feelings, such as joy and trust combining to form love. His model also shows that emotions can vary in intensity; for example, fear can range from mild apprehension to intense terror. Hope that helps!
Thanks again John & Denise. My mother (a human relation councilor) always suggested that it was best to recognize and express my own feelings as well as to try not to put (blame) them onto others. I have found that most people (not just males!) have difficulty expressing their feelings and even have difficulty when I express my own. HHH: My HEART (feelings/emotions) is what drives me. My HEAD tries to make sense of my heart. My HANDS tries to put my heart & head into actions. I have found that peoples unrecognized and unexpressed feelings are a manger block… Read more »
Thanks so much for sharing your helpful insights with us Mal!
The feelings wheel is solid—it breaks down complex emotions into simple terms you can grasp. It’s like a cheat sheet for understanding what you’re really feeling, and it could be handy for those tough conversations. Check it out for a deeper dive into how to map those feelings. https://www.feelingswheel.co