Hey Peter,
Sometimes when I notice I have a certain feeling/sensation in my body that I don't like and can't quite figure out why it's there, if I attribute it to emotional stuff, I try to give it a name. For example, when feeling very down/tired, etc., I have this feeling in my face that I call "heaviness" or "drained." One of my core feelings that underlies a lot of things for me I simply call "my sadness," and yes, a lot of it comes from childhood/family stuff.
-Daniel