The practice of affect labeling, like the body scan, is a kind of mental training intended to get us into the habit of noting and naming the sensations that arise in our bodies. Psychologists recommend keeping two things in mind as we try it out. The first is to be as prolific as possible: the UCLA scientists reported that study participants who came up with a larger number of terms for what they were feeling subsequently experienced a greater reduction in their physiological arousal. The second is to be as granular as possible: that is, to choose words that are precise and specific when
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