Problem
Take a moment to reflect on your interpersonal communication with friends and family. Think of a time when a friend or family member made a statement expressing feelings and you wished they would have followed "Guidelines for Expressing Emotion" listed below. Perhaps they missed one or more of these guidelines leaving you to play 'mind reader' to figure out what they were feeling.
A. Recognize your feelings.
B. Recognize the difference between feeling, talking and acting.
C. Express verbally.
a. Use single words.
b. Describe what's happening to you.
c. Describe what you'd like to do.
d. Avoid minimizing feelings.
e. Avoid coded feelings.
f. Focus on a specific set of circumstances.
D. Share multiple feelings.
E. Consider when and where to express your feelings.
F. Accept responsibility for your feelings.
G. Be mindful of the communication channel.
Explain the situation and bold how the person tried to express his/her emotions using direct quotations.
Choose a title for the statement that creatively describes the situation such as Silk Dress and Stomping Heels or "You are the most infuriating person ever!"
It might look like this:
I came home after a long shift at work to find my roommate stomping around the apartment. She was dressed up and looking intense. As I came in, she left and slammed the door. A few minutes later, she sent me a text that read, "You are the most infuriating person ever!" It was only then that I remembered we had talked about the possibility of going out to a nice dinner.