Name It to Tame It
put a word on it and create some distance
When a feeling or a distraction hijacks your focus, the instinct is to fight it or get swept up in it. Name it to tame it offers a third option: simply label what’s happening in a word — “worrying,” “planning,” “frustrated” — and watch it lose some of its charge.
Why it works
Putting language to an experience engages the reflective, thinking part of your brain and quiets the reactive, emotional part. Naming creates a sliver of distance: instead of being the worry, you’re noticing a worry — which is far easier to set down and step past.
Who popularised it
The phrase “name it to tame it” was coined by psychiatrist Dan Siegel, and the underlying effect — “affect labelling” — has been studied by Matthew Lieberman and colleagues at UCLA, whose research linked putting feelings into words with reduced emotional reactivity.
When to use it
- When an emotion is pulling you off task.
- When you keep drifting and don’t know why — name where you went.
- In tense moments, before you react.
Related
Curious about the supplement side? Read nootropics for focus, browse all our focus & attention guides, or put this into practice in the Squiggle app.
This guide is general education, not medical advice. For anything specific to your health, talk to a qualified healthcare professional.