The Emotions Wheel Icebreaker Template
Allow people to express emotions and connect with each other. Use the Emotions Wheel Icebreaker to build the foundations for an important conversation.
About the Emotions Wheel Template
Ana Dvonirkova, Learning Design Program Lead at Miro, created The Emotions Wheel Template. It was primarily created to help connect teams while working remotely and has also become a great tool for reconnecting hybrid teams. In Miro, Ana uses this icebreaker at the beginning of All-hands meetings, but over time this template has proven to be a great human check-in for every virtual and in-person meeting.
What’s the Emotions Wheel?
Psychologist Robert Plutchik developed a wheel of emotions to illustrate various feelings. In its original version, it shows eight core human emotions, opposite to each other, and how they develop into other emotional states that could be more intense or milder.
This tool helps us see what’s causing us to have a specific feeling and better identify and understand how we feel. Over time, many variations of the emotions wheel were developed and created, and the one used in our template shows six core emotions and the emotional states they can develop into.
Benefits of using the Emotions Wheel Template
When leading an important meeting or workshop, the Emotions Wheel Template helps you build empathy amongst participants and do a quick check-in to see how your audience is feeling and the energy levels at that moment.
It’s also a way to be inclusive and validate different feelings and experiences, acknowledging that not everyone in the room might be feeling the same way.
This template is also an excellent tool to connect teams and people, allowing different teams and audiences to express themselves and feel seen by others in the meeting.
How to use the Emotions Wheel Template
Add the Emotions Wheel Template to your board when leading a meeting or workshop. This template doesn’t need to be edited and doesn’t demand much knowledge from your participants using Miro.
After everyone joined your meeting, ask them to grab a dot and place it on a section of the Emotions Wheel, one that represents their current emotional state.
If you want to give participants more privacy while adding their dots, you can instruct them to turn off cursors, and at the moment of the icebreaker, stop sharing your screen so everyone can privately add their dot to the wheel.
After everyone added their dots, analyze the emotions, and highlight the ones marked most. End this emotions wheel exercise by saying that every emotion is valid and perfectly normal, and thank everyone for participating and being honest.
If you feel the group has enough openness, ask for volunteers to share their answers and experiences.
How many emotions are on the emotions wheel?
Miro’s Emotion Wheel Icebreaker Template contains an emotion wheel with six core emotions, each leading to twelve different emotional states. The original emotions wheel created by Robert P. had eight core emotions, and each emotion would result in two other emotional states.
Can you use the emotion wheel in the classroom?
Many educators and teachers use the emotion wheel as a teaching resource in the classroom. It helps students to connect to their emotions and to identify and communicate their feelings in a more accurate way. The emotion wheel can also help teachers create an inclusive learning space where students feel seen and heard.
Get started with this template right now.
Workshop and Meetings Energizers Template
Works best for:
Icebreakers, Meetings
Begin every online session by engaging people right away with workshops and meeting energizers.
Monster Workshop Template
Works best for:
Icebreakers, Workshops
Get everyone’s creative juices flowing with the Monster Workshop Template. Bring energy and fun to your meetings and workshops.
About Me Template
Works best for:
Meetings, Operations, Management
The About Me Template is a comprehensive tool designed to help individuals compile and present both personal and professional details. One of its standout benefits is the structured format, which not only ensures a polished and professional appearance but also lets users convey their narratives with clarity and consistency, making a memorable impression on viewers.
The Team Canvas
Works best for:
Agile
The Team Canvas is a versatile tool for aligning on goals, roles, and processes. It provides a structured framework for defining purpose, clarifying responsibilities, and visualizing the working environment. By fostering open communication and shared understanding, this template facilitates collaboration and increases team cohesion, empowering you to create a shared vision and drive collective success.
SCAMPER Model
Works best for:
Ideation, Operations, Brainstorming
Is your team in a rut? Have you had a lingering problem that can’t seem to be solved? First introduced in 1972, SCAMPER. is a brainstorming method developed by Bob Eberle, an author of creativity books for young people. This clever, easy-to-use method helps teams overcome creative roadblocks. SCAMPER walks you through seven questions that are meant to encourage your team to approach a problem through seven unique filters. By asking your team to think through a problem using this framework, you’ll unlock fresh, innovative ways to understand the problem you’re trying to solve.
Warm-ups and Wake-ups Template
Works best for:
Icebreakers, Team Meetings
Start your workshop or meeting getting everyone active and energized with these 5 warm-up exercises. Never let boredom invade your sessions again.