It’s common to walk past someone and say, “Hey, how are you?” Usually, we just keep walking without even waiting for an answer. I wonder if we ever ask ourselves how we are doing. When we do ask, do we stop to receive the answer?
Developing self-awareness will help you begin to recognize the things in your life that don’t serve your highest goals. Self-awareness will also alert you to subtle changes in your body, mind, and spirit before they become big problems. Ultimately, raising your awareness allows you to have more choices about how you will respond to anything in your life.
Over the past 15 years, I have been experimenting with different methods for raising awareness. I am much more aware now that I was back then, but I realize that it’s a life-long process. The best part is that once you learn the process, it typically takes less than a minute to check in with yourself. After a while, checking in with yourself will become a new habit. As one of my daughter’s favorite softball coaches, Megan Gant, says, “trust the process.”
When do you need to check in with yourself?
- Right now!
- Anytime you notice any intense emotions
- Between tasks
- At the red light or stop sign
- Before any potentially stressful situation
- Anytime you think about it
Checking In
Check in with your body
Take a moment to notice your breathing. How does it feel? Is your breathing slow and deep or rapid and shallow? Do you notice the breath moving in and out of your nose? Do you notice your chest or stomach rising and falling with each breath?
Go through a quick scan of your body. Starting with your toes, bring your attention to each part of your body, all the way up to the top of your head. Did you notice any areas of tension? Are your shoulders tense or relaxed? How does your stomach feel? Are you holding any unnecessary tension anywhere in your body?
Check in with your mind
Noticing what you are thinking about is an interesting skill that seems to take some practice. Thoughts are very slippery. As soon as you recognize that you are thinking about something, it will likely shift to some other topic.
Just notice the thoughts for a moment. Is there a pattern? Are you reliving the past? Are you worrying about or planning for the future? Are you present, right here, right now? What are you saying to yourself?
Check in with your spirit
The spirit can be thought of as the part of us that incorporates our emotions, personality, spirituality, etc. It is something different than the intellectual mind.
This is the part people are asking about when they really want to know how you are. So, how are you feeling? Can you identify an emotion or two that come up for you right now? How is your connection with your spirituality? How is your motivation level? What about your stress level?
What now?
Think about how you truly feel right now. Take a minute to acknowledge and accept your current state, whatever it may be.
Read the list of suggestions below and try one that you think might work for you.
If you are feeling down and need some energy
- do some physical activity: jumping jacks, speed walking, wall push-ups
- get a drink of water
- switch to a more interesting activity
- take a nap or commit to getting better quality sleep
If you are feeling stressed, frustrated, angry, etc.
- try belly breathing: focus on filling the belly with air on each inhale, keep the exhale slow and smooth
- try extended exhale breathing: inhale for a count of 4, then exhale for a count of 6 or 8, whatever is comfortable for you
- visualize someone or something you love
- take a walk
- of course, making a to-do list might be a good idea too
If you are feeling “just right”
- remember this feeling so that you can access it again in the future
- take a moment to be grateful for feeling good
- maintain your awareness of your body, mind, and spirit throughout the day so you can notice anything that pulls you out of this state
Please Share and Comment
Have you tried this method of checking in with the body, mind, and spirit? Do you have any other methods for checking in and raising self-awareness? How could you benefit from increasing your own level of self-awareness?
On my way back from Chattanooga I felt so much pressure to make sure everyone was safe. It was more than i wanted to sign up for . I got home , made sure all my family was ok and they greeted me with open arms as if I was gone for years. Funny part was a coach didn’t believe I was the mother of a strong player Bc of my color! That broke my heart. It should never be Bc I’m white or Bc your brown, I gave you life and others should respect that. I am the mother of 3 brown girls today , tomorrow and always.
It’s hard to step back and stay calm when people come across as closed minded. I’ve started to feel some sadness for people like that. Imagine how much of the world they are missing out on!