According to Chuck Palahniuk (and a brain science experiment), physical verbs have a greater impact on us than conceptual (or thought) verbs. For example:
“Kiss me” > “Love me”
“Do you follow?” > “Do you understand?”
“She told herself.” > “She thought.”
“It went through his head.” > “He thought.”
“It went over his head.” > “He felt confused.”
“It struck her.” > “She realized.”
This exercise is to build a library of physical verbs to use instead of thought verbs. I’m trying to avoid actual physical gestures, looking for simple physical verbs that replace abstract “thinking” verbs.
“He strutted” > “He felt superior”
“Their chest tightened” > “They were anxious”
“He shrugged ” > “He felt inferior”
“She looked up at her future” > “She visualized success”
“She shuddered at the darkness” > “She was afraid of the night”
“He barked with authority” > “He thought he was the boss”
“He moved his heavy body at a snails pace” > “He was listless”
“She splashed and dove and burst up out of the sea” > “She caroused in the sea”
“She grasped the solution” > “She calculated”
“He raised his voice” > “He emphasized”
“They connected their experiences” > “They empathized”
“They drained every thought from their minds” > “They brainstormed”
“He put them in their place” > “He judged them”
“His mind jutted out at odd angles“ > “He was crazy”
“She hummed with joy“ > “She was ecstatic”
“She pushed and pulled at the decision“ > “She agonized”
“He gripped the whirlwind“ > “He struggled”
"She spun the gears" > "She thought"
“He split his mind” > “He felt divided”
“He wrung out the pressure” > “He relaxed”
“She embraced desperation” > “She pleaded”
“He wore the accomplishment like a cape” > “He bragged”
“She stared in hard silence” > “She doubted”
“They shrunk in the swollen world” > “They felt small”
“He picks up his mistakes, scrubbing and polishing them to nothing” > “He wants redemption”
“He burns his eyes with nervous sweat” > “He’s worried”
“She grips her keys till her hands bleed” > “She hates”
“She sees herself walk through time” > “She remembers”
“He strained to lift his heart” > “He felt sad”
“She caked on foundation to hide her redness” > “She was ashamed”
“She rose up on her toes, reaching up to grasp his offering” > “She was tempted”
“His breath cut short, his limbs shook, his eyes darted away” > “He was disgusted”
“They pointed and yelled and glared at each other”> “They disagreed”