We aren’t mind readers, but it seems that people often expect us to be.
Part of the general issue is that often we ourselves are not clear about how we are feeling. We think we are, but really we have a vague idea of our emotional state, and create some type of generic term that may or may not have meaning to the other person that we are talking with.
By identifying our main emotional states, and clearly articulating them (which I think you will find not to be more than about 10 believe it or not that you ever want to communicate) you can better wrap your arms around yourself, and better communicate yourself to others.
So all you have to do is write down your main emotional states in your journal and then put down how YOU feel and what you feel like doing in that state. The interesting thing is that sometimes our body goes into the “feel like doing” state and not into the actual state, so by doing this exercise, you can know where you are going emotionally before you actually get there. Pretty cool, huh?
Also, by doing this you can tell someone how you are feeling with your label, and they will know what you “feel like doing” and can help you do just that. Instead of fishing around for permission to go there, and eventually getting there. If you got that, you got that. If not, don’t worry about it.
Anyway, I have found that the better defined you make yourself, the clearer you become to yourself, and the more real you are to yourself and others. So good luck, I hope it helps.