Naming What's Within

Why Language Matters When You're Emotionally Spent

Photo by Louis Galvez on Unsplash

There are days when you can’t even name what’s wrong. You just know you’re tired - bone-deep tired - and everything feels like too much.

You go through the motions. You keep showing up.
But inside? It’s foggy. Flat. Numb.

Or so full you feel like you might burst.

You’re not being dramatic.
You’re not broken.
You’re overwhelmed.

Emotional Literacy

When we’re emotionally exhausted, it’s easy to feel swallowed by the mess inside. And in that swirl, language becomes a life raft.

That’s what emotional literacy is: not a buzzword, not a therapy term, but simply the ability to name what’s going on inside you. To say, “This is anger” or “This is grief” instead of “I’m a mess” or “I don’t even know anymore.”

Most of us weren’t taught how to do this. We grew up with shorthand like “fine,” “tired,” or “mad”. But there’s so much more going on inside.

And here’s the truth:

• Emotions aren’t something to run away from, or shove to the background.

• They’re signals to listen to.

When we name them, we stop denying them and validate them instead. We turn fog into shape. We soften the chaos and the weight feels just a little more bearable.

The more language we have for our inner world, the more powerfully we can care for ourselves. Emotional literacy helps us respond rather than react, ask for what we need, and soothe ourselves with compassion instead of criticism. It becomes the first step to reclaiming choice—especially in moments that once felt hijacked by emotion or confusion.

You don’t need to “get it right.” You just need to begin.

Thank you for reading and being here.

Warmly,
Sharon 🌿

Want a gentle practice to help you start? I’ll walk you through it in the member section below.