feelingan

Feelingan is a coinage used to describe a structured method for recording and sharing subjective emotional states. It is not a formally recognized term in psychology, but it has appeared in online communities, self-help discussions, and journaling apps as a shorthand for a standardized emotional report.

At its core, a feelingan entry typically includes four elements: the context or event that preceded the feeling, the trigger if identifiable, an intensity rating (commonly 0–10), and a brief descriptor or label for the emotion. Some users add duration, bodily sensations, and a concise interpretation or coping strategy.

Purpose and use: Feelingans are used to increase self-awareness, facilitate communication in personal relationships, and support routine mood tracking or therapy exercises. They can be shared in private journals, support groups, or moderated forums, allowing others to offer support or insight.

Origin and usage: The term appears to have emerged in online communities in the early 2020s, inspired by mood-tracking and affect-labeling practices. Etymologically it blends "feeling" with the suffix -an, used in some English coinages to denote a field or tool.

Limitations and critique: As an informal schema, feelingans rely on subjective reporting and may lack standard validation. Privacy, data security, and the risk of overinterpretation are concerns when sharing entries publicly.

See also: mood tracking, affect labeling, emotion diary, self-report.