Three-tier emotional processing
For low-intensity/low-persistence emotions, apply affect labeling only (5 seconds); for moderate-intensity/moderate-persistence, write for 5-10 minutes; for high-intensity/high-persistence, use full 15-20 minute protocol across multiple sessions.
When This Fires
- When any emotion arises that could consume cognitive bandwidth if unprocessed
- When you notice over-processing mild emotions (journaling about every feeling)
- When you notice under-processing intense emotions (labeling deep grief as "feeling sad" and moving on)
- Complements Persistent fatigue despite rest? Diagnose the dimension (four-dimension fatigue diagnosis) with the emotion-specific processing triage
Common Failure Mode
Uniform processing: either labeling everything (intense emotions don't get adequate processing) or journaling about everything (mild emotions get amplified). The triage question: "How intense is this, and how persistent?" determines the processing depth.
The Protocol
(1) When an emotion arises, assess: Intensity (mild/moderate/intense) and Persistence (passes quickly/returns periodically/sustained). (2) Low/Low → affect label: name the emotion in one sentence. "I'm feeling [emotion] about [trigger]." 5 seconds. Move on. (3) Moderate/Moderate → write for 5-10 minutes: what triggered this? What is it signaling? What response serves me? (4) High/High → schedule 15-20 minutes of structured processing. If one session doesn't reduce intensity, schedule additional sessions. Consider external support (trusted person, therapist) for emotions that don't resolve with self-processing. (5) After processing: does the emotion's bandwidth cost decrease? If yes → processing depth was appropriate. If the emotion persists → escalate to the next tier.