The Power Of Language On Our Mind And Body

“Hello, I am Depressed”. 

“Um, nice to meet you, but what Is your name and are you are feeling depressed?”

The language we use has a significant impact on our thoughts, emotions and physical senses. Consider the following statements:  “I am anxious”, “I am depressed”, “I am angry”, “I am sad”. Then consider this set of statements: “I feel anxious”, “I feel angry”, “I feel sad”.  Both sets of statements involve difficult experiences such as stress, low mood and physical sensations such as tension in the chest or stomach (among other possibilities). However The “I am” statements are labels  and the “I feel” statements are descriptions.

 When we label ourselves through our spoken and internal language this often contributes to a feeling of being stuck with that emotion, and thoughts that change may not be possible. I picture a name tag written in permanent marker instead of pencil, or ink that can change like a mood ring (did I just show my age?)! When we shift away from labelling to describing ourselves, we capture a snapshot of the emotion we are experiencing which is capable of change. The duration of the experience may not be predictable, but thoughts of change shift to a matter of when not if. This contributes to feelings of hope and motivation for change which can be soothing while the difficult feelings are present.  Similarly, noticing change is a matter of when not if can also help us focus on welcome emotions such as happiness and excitement.

Consider taking time to practice noticing your thoughts and how you describe your emotions when talking to yourself and others. Experiment with shifting “I am” to “I feel” statements and notice how this impacts you and those around you.