I don't know what I'm feeling
Understand it, reflect on it, notice what you might need, try a short exercise, and keep anything you write — privately, only if you want to.
Start here
What might help right now?
Pick whatever feels possible. There's no right answer, and you can come back to the others any time.
Step 1 · Understand
When you can't name it yet
Not being able to name a feeling is very common, especially after trauma. Your system may have learned that noticing was unsafe. Starting with the body is often gentler than searching for the right word.
Things people sometimes notice in the body
Tight chest
A band across the chest, or breath that won't go all the way down.
Heavy
Limbs and body feeling weighted, slow, hard to move.
Restless
Unable to settle, needing to move or do something.
Shaky
Trembling hands, wobbly legs, a fizzing under the skin.
Racing heart
A fast or pounding heartbeat with nothing obvious happening.
Lump in throat
A closing throat, words that won't come out.
Tense jaw
Jaw, shoulders or stomach gripping without you deciding to.
Sick or nauseous
A turning stomach, no appetite, or a queasy edge.
Hot
Heat rising in the face, chest or hands.
Cold
Chilled, shivery, or as though warmth has drained away.
Empty
A hollow space where feeling usually is.
Disconnected
Watching yourself from a distance, or the room feeling unreal.
Numb
Little sensation at all, as though the volume is turned down.
I can't notice anything
That's a completely valid answer. Noticing takes practice, and it can come back slowly.
The rest of this page is for members
Members can reflect with prompts written for i don't know what i'm feeling, choose what they need, follow a matched Recovery Trauma™ exercise, and save it privately to their journal.
- Reflect
- What you might need
- Your exercise
- Save to journal
This is for education and self-reflection only. It isn't an assessment, a diagnosis or therapy, and it can't tell you why you feel something — only you can know that.
I need support right now