How do I figure out whether a strong emotion is trying to teach me something or it’s just anxiety noise?

Try a short, structured check-in. 1) Trigger: What exactly happened right before the feeling? 2) Body: Where do I feel it (chest, jaw, stomach)? 3) Need/Value: If this emotion was protecting a value, which one is it (safety, fairness, competence, connection)? 4) Control: What’s one thing within my control in the next 24 hours that honors that value? If the emotion points to a value and a small controllable action, it’s likely a signal. If it only spins vague future fears, name it as anxiety and practice letting it pass. You can jot this 4-step reflection in Stoic to keep it simple and consistent.

I keep running worst‑case scenarios about the future. What should I write to learn from that emotion instead of feeding it?

Use a two-column journal: Left—Fear Story; Right—Teachings. On the left, write the feared outcome in one sentence. On the right, answer: 1) What is this fear trying to protect? 2) What evidence supports/contradicts it? 3) What’s one small, preparatory step I can take today? 4) If the worst happened, how would I cope—name one resource or person. This reframes overthinking into preparation and self-support, turning the emotion from alarm into guidance.

When I feel ashamed after a mistake at work, how can this prompt help me without spiraling?

Differentiate guilt (I did something) from shame (I am something). Then try a 3-line entry: Fact—describe the event in one neutral sentence. Value—what standard or care does this emotion point to (reliability, respect, learning)? Repair—one small action that aligns with that value (apologize, clarify, schedule focused time). End with a compassionate closer: “I’m a person learning a skill.” Writing this in Stoic helps you convert a heavy feeling into a clear value and a doable next step.

Journaling Idea - On Emotional Maturity.

What do your recent emotions try to teach you?

Think about recent strong feeling you had. What was it trying to tell you or guide you toward?

Journal in Stoic

Written by

Natalia Łobodzińska

Published on

May 30, 2025

Journal in Stoic

HowTo=target

Frequently Asked Questions

Looking to learn moreabout emotions?

Find hundreds of quotes, affirmations, lessons, guided journals, and so much more in stoic.

Natalia Łobodzińska

Head of Content at stoic.

Natalia oversees all content inside the Stoic app — from guided journals to daily prompts. She works closely with therapists and writers to make sure every word helps users reflect and grow. She also manages translations to keep the experience thoughtful and consistent across languages.

What do your recent emotions try to teach you?

Join the Minimal Newsletter

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you think about this?

How do you think about this?

How do you think about this?

Looking to learn moreabout emotions?

More prompts on On Emotional Maturity