Stressed individuals always search for ways to regain balance after experiencing a highly emotional situation. A heated discussion, workplace conflict, or any other emotionally stressful encounter may result in the appearance of various emotions which are hard to control. Some people choose to analyze the particular event several times again and again in order to find out more details about what has happened to them. Others try not to be obsessed by such emotions but to forget about them.However, psychologists have devoted years to analyzing another approach, which seems rather easy and effortless. Instead of ignoring one's emotions, people prefer to describe their current feelings using plain language. While looking at first sight, this strategy seems rather ineffective. In reality, it seems to play an important part in managing one's emotions.Reasons behind researchers' interest in emotional languagePsychologists believe that emotions greatly affect individual attention, decision-making processes, and even behavior. Powerful emotions tend to limit people's vision and thinking. This is why researchers started to investigate techniques that would allow people to control emotions without ignoring them.One of the areas under investigation was named "affect labeling." The term relates to the process of labeling and identifying emotions with the use of basic words such as "angry," "anxious," "frustrated," or "sad." The research question was rather simple: Could the act of labeling emotions have any effects on their experience in terms of intensity?What the studies discovered concerning the labeling of emotionsIt appears so according to recent evidence. A study reported by the journal Psychological Science revealed that the effect of affect labeling is connected to reduced emotional distress among people who are aware of their feelings. The participants reported decreases in emotional distress equivalent to other recognized methods of emotional regulation. Researchers noted the effect of reduced activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain responsible for dealing with perceived threats.The lead researcher of the study and his team stated that describing one's feelings with the help of words could have some influence on them. One can conclude that labeling emotions such as "anxious" could help to lessen their intensity.This simple habit could help reduce stress in difficult moments. Image credit - GeminiWhat happens inside the brainThere are scientific theories explaining the reason for such an effect. According to the review in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences, emotion labeling may involve engaging prefrontal cortex areas related to cognitive control and deactivating emotional processing networks. In simple words, labeling a feeling allows distancing oneself from it.Instead of being immersed into an emotion, people become able to observe and label what is happening, thus making an experience more controllable. It should be noted that the emotion remains but becomes less powerful, giving an individual space for clear-headed reflection.How writing down one's emotions may helpNaming feelings is not the only way to cope. Studies focusing on the effects of emotional events, such as the study by Barclay and Skarlicki published in the Journal of Applied Psychology, have shown that writing down both one's emotions and reflections on a situation has positive outcomes. Participants indicated a significantly higher level of well-being, reduced anger, lesser desire for revenge, and better personal resolution in comparison with other participants.It appears that labeling emotions in writing could be useful for turning chaos into coherent storytelling. People stop going through the same disturbing event again and again and start making sense out of what has happened to them.Venting emotionsThere is a popular idea that describing one's emotions means venting them. Experts claim that this study proves something else. Venting refers to repeatedly complaining about something in order to express frustration. Emotion labeling includes the recognition and structuring of feelings.Experts state that this technique aims at controlling emotions and not making them grow stronger. This difference can help explain why emotion labeling leads to more successful results compared to uncontrolled emotional responses.What emotion labeling is capable and incapable of doingIt should be noted that naming emotions does not cure people from stress, conflicts at work or personal problems. Even though describing one's emotions helps control them, it does not eliminate the problem itself. The relationships might still need some changes. Yet, as research shows, emotional language might assist individuals in coping with the emotional aftereffects of such encounters.This conclusion also proves valid for different studies on emotion regulation. Regardless of whether the labeling exercise or written reflection is used, it seems possible to use just words to decrease one's negative feelings and enhance emotional processing. It might be this effect which makes therapists view it as something more than just casual self-expression.Studies show that when one is labeling his/her emotions internally, he/she might be performing an emotion regulation task by helping him/her calm down, organize thoughts, and cope with further stress.