The Interactive Feelings Wheel
Most of us default to "good" or "bad" when someone asks how we're feeling. But emotions are way more nuanced than that. The Feels Wheel helps you pinpoint exactly what you're experiencing. Tap a core emotion and explore the layers beneath it.
👉
Tap an emotion on the wheel to explore how you're feeling
Start with the inner ring and work your way out for more specific feelings
Want a copy you can hang on the wall? Download the printable feelings wheel (free PDF).
What is a feelings wheel?
A feelings wheel (sometimes called an emotion wheel or Plutchik wheel) is a visual tool that maps the full spectrum of human emotions. The inner ring shows core emotions like happiness, sadness, and anger. As you move outward, emotions become more specific and nuanced, helping you go from "I feel bad" to "I feel overwhelmed and burnt out."
Research shows that people who can name their emotions with precision, a skill called emotional granularity, are better at regulating those emotions. Simply naming what you feel can reduce its intensity. Psychologists call this "affect labeling."
How to use the interactive feelings wheel
- Start at the center. Look at the core emotions in the inner ring. Which one feels closest to what you're experiencing right now?
- Tap to explore. Click on a core emotion to reveal more specific feelings in the next ring.
- Get specific. Keep drilling down until you find the emotion that truly matches. The more precise you can be, the better you understand yourself.
- Reflect. Read the description and sit with it for a moment. Sometimes just naming a feeling is enough to take its power away.
The online feelings wheel works well on your own, but it is also useful with someone else. Parents use it to help kids put words to big feelings, couples use it to slow down an argument, and many therapists use a feelings wheel in sessions. Pull it up on your phone and point.
Why emotional vocabulary matters
Most people use fewer than 10 words to describe their entire emotional landscape. But there are hundreds of distinct feelings, and the ones you can't name are often the ones that control you. Building your emotional vocabulary is one of the most powerful things you can do for your mental health, your relationships, and your self-awareness.
The Feels Wheel is designed to be your starting point. Use it whenever you check in with yourself: in the morning, after a tough conversation, or before bed. Over time, you'll naturally start recognizing these emotions in real time, without needing the wheel at all.
Common questions
What is the difference between Plutchik's wheel and the feelings wheel?
Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions arranges 8 primary emotions in opposing pairs and shows how they blend and intensify. The feelings wheel made popular by Gloria Willcox starts from a few core feelings in the center and branches outward into more specific words. This interactive feelings wheel follows the second approach: start broad, then get specific.
How many emotions are on the feelings wheel?
The Feels Wheel maps more than 50 feelings across its rings. Each core emotion in the center opens into more precise feelings in the outer layers.
Is there a printable version of the feelings wheel?
Yes. You can download a free printable feelings wheel as a PDF to hang on a wall, keep in a journal, or use in a classroom or therapy session.
Can kids use the feelings wheel?
Yes. Kids often find it easier to point at a color or word than to explain a feeling out loud. Start with the core emotions in the center and only go to the outer ring when they are ready for more specific words.
Ready to start tracking?
Feels is available as a free public beta on iOS. Download it now via TestFlight.
Download on iOS