"I don't even know how I'm feeling."
Sora murmured while gazing out the window. In the after-school classroom, only Sora, Mira, and Hiyori remained.
Hiyori asked quietly. "Did something happen?"
"A friend consulted me. But I didn't know how to answer. Happy-like, troubled-like, complex feelings."
Mira wrote in her notebook. "Emotions are complex."
"Yes," Hiyori nodded. "Multiple emotions occurring simultaneously from one event is normal."
Sora tilted her head. "But why can't I organize them?"
"To organize emotions, you first need to recognize them," Hiyori explained. "That's surprisingly difficult."
Mira wrote. "Can't name emotions."
"That's close to a state called alexithymia," Hiyori said. "A tendency to have difficulty recognizing or verbalizing emotions."
Sora showed interest. "Does it happen to everyone?"
"To varying degrees, many people experience it. Especially with complex emotions."
Sora thought. "Complex emotions?"
Hiyori gave an example. "For instance, your best friend moves far away. Happiness and sadness coexist."
"Ambivalent emotions," Sora said.
"Yes. Psychology deals with the duality and ambiguity of emotions."
Mira wrote again. "Too many emotions, confused."
Sora empathized. "I understand. Various emotions all mixed up."
Hiyori said quietly. "The first step to organizing emotions is extracting them one by one."
"How?"
"Name the emotions. First acknowledge 'I'm feeling multiple emotions right now.'"
Sora tried. "I feel happiness about my friend's consultation. Because they relied on me."
"Good," Hiyori encouraged. "Continue."
"But also confusion. Because I don't know how to answer."
"There might be more."
Sora thought. "...Also anxiety. What if I say something off-base and the relationship worsens."
Hiyori nodded. "Three emotions existed simultaneously. You recognized them one by one."
Mira wrote. "Does recognition make it easier?"
"Yes," Hiyori answered. "When emotions are named, the brain calms down. Research proves this."
Sora was surprised. "Just by naming them?"
"Called emotional labeling. It suppresses amygdala activity and activates the prefrontal cortex."
Mira wrote. "But sometimes, I don't even know the emotion's name."
Hiyori said gently. "That's also natural. Emotional vocabulary increases through learning."
"Emotional vocabulary?" Sora asked.
"Variations of words expressing emotions. Not just 'sad,' but 'lonely,' 'empty,' 'sense of loss.'"
Sora understood. "Rich vocabulary allows fine-grained emotion recognition."
"Exactly," Hiyori acknowledged. "And fine-grained recognition makes coping strategies easier to find."
Mira showed her notebook. "Is keeping an emotion diary good?"
"Wonderful method," Hiyori agreed. "Write out the day's emotions daily. That alone improves emotion recognition ability."
Sora thought briefly. "But I feel organizing emotions too much isn't good either."
"Why?" Hiyori asked.
"Because emotions being ambiguous and complex is what makes us human."
Hiyori smiled. "Deep insight. Complete organization isn't necessary. Just take a little distance so you're not overwhelmed."
Mira wrote. "Befriend emotions."
"Good expression," Sora said.
Hiyori looked out the window. "Emotions aren't enemies, they're part of yourself. Even when you can't organize them, accept that."
Sora nodded. "Without rushing, understand them little by little."
The three sat quietly. Emotional complexity is also human richness.
"Today, I feel I understand a bit," Sora said. "The reason I can't organize feelings can also be accepted as an emotion."
Hiyori nodded gently. Mira also smiled slightly.
A heart that's complex and ambiguous might be more human than a perfectly organized one.