Recently people have been letting me know that they feel overwhelmed, confrontational, sad, or even just 'blah'.
We all feel like this some days, and sometimes we may know why and sometimes we don't. But most importantly, we know we don't want to feel like it anymore.
Daily Check in's with ourselves are great in helping us recognise our feelings, how it is impacting us, and what changes we can make. Simple questions you can ask yourself can help you start your Daily Check-In and take control of your thoughts, emotions, and actions.
What is my body feeling?
Our body is the best place to start as our bodies often feel it and react to it before we are even aware of it. Good questions to ask are:
Is there tension in my body?
Did I get enough sleep, or do I need water or food?
Have I exercised recently?
Has something happened to my body, such as an injury, sickness, menstruating, or a big weekend?
Many things can impact our bodies and, in turn, our moods. Making small changes and looking after our bodies can improve the way we feel and function.
What are we thinking?
We often think about conversations or situations over and over like a bad movie. We think about what we could have done, what we will say, or what we want to do. And most of the time, the conversations in our head will never happen, and if it does happen, it is often nothing like what we played over and over in our minds. Repetitive thoughts can produce a lot of anxiety and stress.
If you need to quieten your mind, ask yourself, is this something that I can change or action now? If the answer is no, then your mind may need a reset. Counting back from 30 is an excellent way of distracting yourself and refocusing. You may need to count backwards a few times before your brain gets the message.
If you need or want to think about things but now isn't the best time, make time in your day, or write it down. Manifesting our thoughts into something physical, such as writing or drawing, helps our brain process the information quickly and feel like it has come to a resolution.
What is my emotion?
As humans, we feel sad, angry, hurt, betrayed or even anxious. Emotions are natural and often don't last. If your feelings persist and there is nothing you can do to change your feelings, ask yourself if you need to take some time for yourself.
Self-care is one thing that we often don't grant ourselves, and it is often the best thing for us. Self-care could be as simple as getting up and walking to clear your head, laying down and allowing yourself to sit in the emotion, or doing something that brings you joy like eating good food, watching a movie, or hanging out with friends.
If self-care doesn't change your feelings, then connect with someone! Talk to people you trust, such as friends, family, or counsellors. Connecting and talking about emotions aloud helps to process our feelings, accept them, and move on from them.
Good luck with your Daily Check In's.
Tamara Wickham
School Counsellor