Everyone has experienced times when something seems off, but you’re unable to identify the problem. Perhaps it’s a queasy stomach, a racing mind, or general unease. You could be tempted in these circumstances to ignore your symptoms and move forward despite your emotions. It’s your soul’s method of telling you to be aware. Regularly checking in with yourself is one of the best ways to be more aware of your own needs.

With packed schedules, never-ending to-do lists, appointments, and personal commitments, it’s very easy for days to pass you by in a fog. Have there ever been days like that? Once you’re in bed, you suddenly realize that because everything happened so quickly, you don’t remember how, when, or where you did it. Another possibility is that you’re simply attempting to avoid thinking about or dealing with your feelings by keeping yourself so busy or by serving others.

Both types of days have happened to me frequently, and I imagine you’ve had a few of them as well. I’ve lately realized how beneficial it is for me to stop periodically throughout the day to check in with myself.

Even though it can frequently feel like just another item on the never-ending to-do list, spending time with yourself is crucial to maintaining your emotional stability and mental health. In the same way that working out your physical body helps you stay in balance with the stress of life, so will checking in on your soulful self.

To know yourself, you must sacrifice the illusion that you already do. ~ Vironika Tugaleva

What Makes Self-Checking Important?

Making conscious efforts to pay attention to your emotional, mental, and physical well-being is known as “checking in” with oneself. You may learn more about your mental health and emotional needs by asking yourself questions and making time for checking in with yourself regularly. You can take concrete efforts to address your reflections based on this practice.

It’s just as vital to check in with yourself as it is with your loved ones. You can better take care of your loved ones by keeping tabs on them. Your relationship with yourself is no different. You can recognize what you need by checking in with yourself. For instance, you might discover that practicing mindfulness makes you feel ready to face the day.

Checking in with yourself can also improve your physical health. You could discover that you feel physically ill when you’re not in a good frame of mind. Regular self-checks may help you identify and control the actions and emotions that result in physical discomfort.

Self-checking is a type of mindfulness, and studies have shown that being more conscious has beneficial effects on your psychological health. Researchers concluded that mindfulness increased feelings of well-being and self-compassion, decreased emotional reactivity and psychological symptoms such as stress and anxiety, and improved the capacity to remain calm and manage emotions.

Self-awareness allows you to self-correct. ~  Bill Hybels

How To Check In With Yourself

Making time each day to check in with oneself entails asking yourself how you’re doing. You may organize your feelings, evaluate your physical and emotional needs, and create a deliberate plan for how to take care of those needs moving forward.

Knowing your triggers can help you remember to take some alone time. External triggers can be situational or environmental, so knowing what types of situations activate your emotion allows you to check in with yourself before you become distressed. You know the feelings you feel inside your body as internal signals, and they can help you understand what you might need. For instance, stiffness in your shoulders may be an internal clue that you need some time to relax and take deep cleansing breaths, and hunger is an internal cue that you need food.

It’s frightening, which is the reason you might avoid talking about your emotions. Furthermore, it might be daunting for you to allow yourself to experience everything that is happening in your egoic mind because, well, it’s not always pretty. But remember that you must allow yourself to feel because you cannot heal what you cannot experience and you cannot fix what you do not understand.

Not having difficult times, problems, or negative emotions is not a sign of poor mental health; rather, it’s knowing how to deal with these things, embrace them, and learn from them in a way that’s most effective for you.

A person is capable of learning useful life lessons through the act of self-examination. ~ Kilroy J. Oldster

Routine Ways For You To Check In With Yourself

Life is life, and occasionally you’ll forget to check-in. You might find that you’re doing well for a week or two before forgetting it altogether for a while. Try incorporating it into your everyday routine the same way you would other daily habits.  Here are eight ways you can check in with yourself regularly.

1. Dedicate Time for Self-Reflection. Pick a time of day when you won’t be disturbed as much, put on your favorite music, and get some serious thinking done.
2. Journal. If you communicate best in writing, take out your notebook and schedule a brief writing time each day.
3. Meditation. The key to practicing mindfulness is to notice your emotions and observe them as they pass without passing judgment. Working on the ability to check in and let go is best done in the meditation seat.
4. Be Honest. Yes, it’s hard, to be honest with yourself, but it’s important. Be truthful in your responses when you check in with yourself. Transform your idea or response into an action that enhances your life or mood.

The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself. ~ David Goggins

5. Breathe. It takes practice, but breathing slowly and deeply is a terrific way to ground yourself in your body.  You can use it as a springboard for meditation or as a standalone exercise. It’s crucial to learn to pay attention and listen to your body and your mind since your body stores and recalls your traumas. Start by breathing for five counts, hold for five counts, followed by five counts of exhalation. Check your feelings after doing this for a few minutes. By decreasing your blood pressure and slowing down your pulse rate, breathing exercises can help you cope with stress. These physical modifications may cause feelings of peace and calm.
6. Be Grateful. Consider something for which you are grateful each morning. What does that make you feel like? Keep that sensation in mind throughout the day, and if you find your emotions shifting, try to recall how you were feeling in the morning. Gratitude re-centers you back into the flow of the Universe.
7. Examine Your Physical Well-being. How are you physically feeling? Are you hungry, exhausted, or under stress? Achy? Your emotional state might be revealed by paying attention to your physical feelings.  One sign you could be anxious is if you notice that your body feels tense or that your heart is beating quickly.
8. Notice Your Thoughts and Feelings. What feelings and thoughts do you have? Are you joyful, depressed, furious, or afraid? Declare the feelings you’re experiencing aloud or record them in a journal. This might assist you in recognizing and validating your emotions. It’s reassuring to keep in mind that all emotions are fleeting and will eventually pass if you’re experiencing an emotional overload. This can assist you in maintaining some perspective and preventing yourself from being emotionally involved in the scenario.

Honest self-understanding liberates us from our stuck emotions. ~ C. Terry Warner

Moving Forward

Self-care is up to you. Do whatever you feel you need right now after checking in with yourself. That might be anything that comes to mind, such as journaling, yoga, taking a stroll, crying, taking a hot shower, etc.  Finding even the tiniest item to be thankful for each time you check in helps you feel better.

Most importantly, don’t be hesitant to seek help, such as my coaching services, if you feel you cannot handle some of these emotions or problems. You can benefit in so many different ways from help from a different viewpoint. It’s critical to constantly remind oneself that seeking assistance is a sign of strength rather than weakness.

Just keep in mind that there is no right or wrong way to check-in. One person’s solution might not be appropriate for another. It is beneficial to follow your instincts and do what makes you feel most comfortable.

For the wise have always known that no one can make much of his life until self-searching has become a regular habit until he is able to admit and accept what he finds, and until he patiently and persistently tries to correct what is wrong. ~  Bill W.

Do you need help learning to notice the lies of the ego? Are you looking for support to empower yourself to be more mindful? Do you want a strategy to help you create an extraordinary life? Contact me at TerriKozlowski.com. Together, we can create an action plan for you to edit your life.

To hear about how I learned to notice the voice of the ego, you can do so by reading my book, Raven Transcending Fear, available on Amazon, or by visiting RavenTranscendingFear.com.

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Article Name

It's Responsible To Check In With Yourself As A Way To Overcome

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It's important to check in with yourself for your overall well-being. Self check-in is a way to be aware of your emotional and mental state.

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Terri Kozlowski

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Kozmic Soul Solutions LLC

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