Temperature Check

A lot of us are so busy that we get stuck in reacting versus responding to events in our lives. That can often lead us to feeling like we don't know our emotions or we cannot handle our emotions. We may respond really big, because we don't pay attention to our emotions until they get to the point where they're explosive or the opposite - we may not feel anything at all.

A good way to start checking in with yourself is by doing what I call an internal temperature check. Starting to spend time noticing how you're feeling. Checking in with your body and recognizing the sensations that are coming up. It may not be immediately obvious, but soon you may start to notice patterns. Like, when I'm in big crowds, I notice that I feel more tense or irritated or warm - maybe that is anxiety. The more that you start implementing these temperature checks, the easier it will become.

These temperature checks can give us really important information. We may start to notice things that make us uncomfortable, that we usually ignore. We may start to notice when we're feeling vulnerable. We can use this information to guide us in our responses. When we're in situations that make us annoyed, we may not want to have important discussions with our partners. We can start to notice that every time we hang out with that one friend, we leave feeling depleted - what needs to change?

This can help us know where we need to set boundaries in our lives and when we may not be best able to tackle a task. It may seem kind of basic, but actually a lot of people struggle with checking in with themselves. And that can lead to feeling pretty out of control. This is just the first step in knowing where to go next.

As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest. I hope you have the week you need.