Online emotions pendulum

How to use this board

The eight options come from psychologist Robert Plutchik's wheel of emotions. In 1980 he proposed eight basic emotions arranged as opposite pairs: joy and sadness, trust and disgust, fear and anger, surprise and anticipation. On his wheel each emotion sits across from its opposite, and that's how you'll see them here.

Use this board when a feeling is foggy and you want words for it: "What am I really feeling about this news?" or "What emotion drives me when I think about that conversation?" It also works for journaling: one question a day, one line about what you noticed.

No emotion is good or bad; each one carries information. When the pendulum lands, ask whether you recognize the feeling, where you sense it in your body and what it's asking of you. If it doesn't fit, look at its opposite: sometimes the answer is right across the wheel. If your feelings overwhelm you for days on end, reaching out to a mental health professional is a way of taking care of yourself.

The options

What each answer invites you to consider.

Joy

Something is doing you good, even if it's small. What is it? Pause and savor it instead of rushing past. Joy can be grown, too: jot down what sparked it so you can find your way back.

Trust

Trust shows up when someone or something feels safe. Who are you leaning on right now? Are you leaning on yourself? Notice, too, whether you hand out trust easily or carefully, and whether that's serving you today.

Fear

Fear is a signal that something matters. Ask what it's trying to protect you from, and whether the danger belongs to now or to the past. Slower breathing and one small step often make it easier to handle.

Surprise

Something didn't go the way you expected, for better or worse. Surprise opens a pause: before you react, look at what changed and what you had assumed. It might be a chance to update an old idea.

Sadness

Sadness tends to arrive when we lose or miss something. There's no need to hurry it along. What are you saying goodbye to? Give yourself room, some comfort and, if you can, the company of a good listener.

Disgust

Disgust marks a rejection: this isn't for you. It might be a food, a situation or the way someone treats you. What are you putting up with that you'd rather push away? That reaction may point to a boundary worth setting.

Anger

Anger flares when a line feels crossed. Which line was it? Listen to it before you act: it carries useful energy for standing up for what you care about, as long as you express it without hurting anyone, yourself included.

Anticipation

Your attention is on what's ahead: a plan, a wait, a hope. Does it excite you or make you uneasy? If it's unease, come back to the present for a moment. If it's excitement, choose a first step for today.

Frequently asked questions

What are Plutchik's eight basic emotions?

Robert Plutchik proposed eight basic emotions: joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, disgust, anger and anticipation. He arranged them on a wheel as four pairs of opposites, where each emotion can be milder or more intense and can blend with its neighbors to form others.

How do I use a pendulum to figure out what I'm feeling?

Ask an open question, such as "What emotion is behind my tiredness?", and let the pendulum pick an option. Then check it against yourself: do you recognize it? Where do you feel it in your body? The pendulum doesn't read your emotions; it helps you stop and look at them.

Can I use this board for an emotion journal?

Yes. Many people ask one question a day and write down the emotion that came up and how they felt seeing it. Over a few weeks, patterns appear. On Paths, your readings are saved in My readings, stored only on your device.

Go deeper

• Keeping a Pendulum Journal: Record, Reread, Find Patterns · How to keep a pendulum journal: what to record for each reading, how to reread it to spot patterns and emotions, and how to use My readings on Paths.
• Pendulum and Intuition: How to Listen to What You Already Know · What psychology says about intuition, why gut feelings are sometimes right and sometimes wrong, and how a pendulum can help you slow down and read your body.
• Meditation Before Using a Pendulum: Five Minutes to Ask Calmly · A short breathing and grounding practice for before you use a pendulum, and why asking from a calmer place changes what you see in the answer.

Sources

• Robert Plutchik, Emotion: A Psychoevolutionary Synthesis (1980)
• Robert Plutchik, The Nature of Emotions, American Scientist 89(4) (2001)