(⏳ Estimated reading time: 5 minutes)
I had all these plans with a client. We talked, we planned, we mapped things out. And then, just like that—none of it happened. The plans were gone. The project? Dead. And I was just sitting there, staring at my screen, feeling... something. But I didn’t really know what.
I knew I was frustrated, but I didn’t really know it until ChatGPT pointed it out. We were talking, and I was explaining the situation, and then I got hit with, “Of course, you feel frustrated.” And that was a moment. Oh. Right. That’s what this is.
Once I named the feeling, it immediately reminded me of Elevate, the deck I created for moments exactly like this. The whole idea behind Elevate is simple: When you’re feeling stuck, match the feeling you’re having, then take action based on that.
So, I went to the deck, pulled out all the blue frustration cards, and just started working through them. The first one? An affirmation.
Now, I’m not the biggest fan of affirmations, but I know they work because they work for me. The card said: “I focus only on progress, not on perfection.” And that was exactly what I needed to hear. Because I have this bad habit of thinking, If I can’t do everything, why even start? But that reminder? That I didn’t have to fix everything, just move forward? It helped.
The next card? “Time to tidy up—declutter your home.” And honestly, that was the one that changed everything.
I looked around, and my apartment was a mess. Not a small mess. A just-ripped-through-my-storage-to-find-one-thing kind of mess.
It was overwhelming, but the card wasn’t telling me to deep-clean everything—it was just a reminder to do what I could. So I gave myself an hour, put on some music, and just cleaned as much as I could.
And it helped.
By the end of it, my apartment wasn’t perfect, but it was better. And more importantly, my mind felt clearer. That’s the thing with emotions—sometimes taking small, simple actions can make a huge difference.
I was frustrated. I felt like things were unfair, like I had put in effort and didn’t get the outcome I wanted. But cleaning was something I had control over, and that made all the difference. As I cleaned, I also had to reflect—yes, we didn’t complete the projects I wanted, but I did work on things, learn new skills, and grow in the months we had worked together. And most importantly, cleaning my environment helped me think more clearly. It turned out to be a great win—combining insight from ChatGPT with action from Elevate.
How to Figure Out What You're Feeling Using ChatGPT
A big part of what made this experience work was actually identifying the feeling first. If I hadn’t recognized my frustration, I probably wouldn’t have done anything at all.
If you’re feeling stuck but don’t know why, here are a couple of ChatGPT prompts that can help:
Prompt 1: “What Emotion Am I Feeling?”
Copy and paste this into ChatGPT:
I feel off, but I don’t know why. I recently experienced [describe situation]. Can you ask me some reflective questions to help me understand whether I feel happy, hopeful, anxious, angry, frustrated, or depressed?
This helps ChatGPT guide you through your emotions so you can name what you’re actually feeling.
Prompt 2: “What Should I Do About This Feeling?”
Once you’ve identified your emotion, ask:
I’ve realized I feel [emotion]. Can you suggest a small, actionable step that might help me process or improve this feeling?
This works exactly like Elevate—once you know how you feel, you can take small, specific actions to move forward.
What I Took Away From This Experience
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We don’t always recognize our emotions until we take time to reflect.
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Once we name what we’re feeling, we can do something about it.
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Small actions—like tidying up or shifting focus—can make a big difference.
If you’ve been feeling off but can’t quite name it, try using the prompts above. Let ChatGPT help you figure it out—and then take one small action to shift your mindset.
And if you want a structured way to process emotions and take action, check out Elevate—the deck that helped me get unstuck.
