Signing Emotions & Feelings
Build your emotional vocabulary in BSL — from everyday feelings to expressing mental health needs and checking in with others.
Emotion Vocabulary in BSL
BSL has a rich vocabulary for emotions and feelings. Start with the fundamental emotions: happy, sad, angry, scared, surprised, disgusted, tired, and confused.
As you progress, learn more nuanced emotion signs: frustrated, overwhelmed, anxious, grateful, proud, jealous, guilty, lonely, and hopeful. These words allow for deeper, more honest communication.
Facial expressions are essential when signing emotions in BSL. The face carries much of the emotional meaning — a sign for 'sad' looks very different when accompanied by a deeply sorrowful expression versus a mild one.
Practise signing emotions by checking in with yourself throughout the day. Ask yourself how you feel and sign the answer. This builds both your BSL skills and your emotional awareness.
Expressing Mental Health Needs
Being able to communicate about mental health in BSL is incredibly important. Learn signs for depression, anxiety, stress, panic attack, therapy, counselling, and medication.
Deaf people face additional barriers when accessing mental health support, including a shortage of BSL-fluent therapists and limited access to information in their first language. Learning mental health vocabulary helps bridge this gap.
Practise signing phrases like 'I need support,' 'I am not okay,' 'I want to talk to someone,' and 'I need a break.' These simple sentences can be the first step towards getting the help you need.
If you support someone who uses BSL, learning mental health signs shows that you take their well-being seriously and are ready to have difficult conversations in their preferred language.
Describing Intensity & Nuance
BSL is beautifully suited to expressing different intensities of emotion. The same sign can be modified with size, speed, facial expression, and body tension to show whether a feeling is mild, moderate, or intense.
For example, the sign for angry can be signed gently with a slightly furrowed brow for mild irritation, or with sharp, large movements and a strong expression for rage. This flexibility makes BSL incredibly expressive.
Learning to use modifiers like 'a little,' 'very,' and 'extremely' alongside emotion signs gives you greater precision. Being able to say 'I am a little nervous' versus 'I am extremely anxious' conveys very different messages.
Pay attention to how Deaf signers express emotions in conversations, stories, and media. Observing natural emotional expression in BSL is one of the best ways to develop your own expressive range.
Emotional Check-Ins in Sign
Regular emotional check-ins are a beautiful way to use BSL in everyday life. Whether with family, friends, or colleagues, asking 'How are you really feeling?' in BSL creates a safe space for honest communication.
In schools and workplaces that use BSL, signed check-ins at the start of meetings or lessons help everyone feel seen and heard. Simple signs like a thumbs-up, thumbs-down, or a hand wobble for 'so-so' make participation easy.
Teaching children to sign their feelings during emotional check-ins helps them develop emotional literacy alongside their BSL skills. It normalises talking about feelings and provides a non-verbal outlet for children who find spoken expression difficult.
If someone signs that they are struggling, respond with empathy. Signs for 'I hear you,' 'You are not alone,' 'How can I help?' and 'Take your time' show genuine care and create a supportive environment where people feel safe to be honest.