Checking In With Yourself Is Important

My Somatic Yoga Teaching Class started back up after the holidays, and we are learning about Yoga for, depression, anxiety, stress and burnout the last few weeks. There’s so much information to absorb, and I keep re-watching some of our classes to try and get it all, but I think what’s hitting me hard lately is the overwhelming amount of people who suffer with it and how still in this day and age,  mental health is not spoken about enough or even addressed to the extent it needs to be. 

With everything going on in the world it’s almost hard to believe there’s not more support for people going through hard times, no matter what it is. Everything has a way of imprinting upon us, the good and bad, and we carry it along with us through our lives. It can end up just weighing us down to the point we’re not sure what to do with it, nor what to do with ourselves, or even how to seek help. Why? Because mostly mental health isn’t spoken about enough for us to realize what is really going on, and that what we’re going through isn’t normal, but could possibly be something much more serious. 

It’s disheartening really, because as we’re learning about depression, burnout, and anxiety in class, it all starts with something within our bodies, a feeling, a slight tension maybe, headaches, upset stomachs, and so when people seek help they are treated only for the pain in their bodies, not the deeper issue, the issue that actaully caused the pain. (I’m not saying that every pain is caused by depression/anxiety/burnout/stress) My main focus and point of this is, for people that do have mental health needs that aren’t being met, it comes out in ways , such as pain and that’s what’s treated, which is also the problem. Our mental health is simply overlooked way too often. 

I know when I get anxious I feel hot, I’m not hungry, lights tend to bother me, and I start either holding my breath or taking fast breaths. Clear signs that something is not balanced. People dismiss these signs as ” oh you’re just nervous, oh it’ll go away, suck it up, deal with it, come on it’s not that bad.” Lack of compassion in these moments makes us feel as if we did something wrong, and we try to shove through the feelings, and ignore clear signs of our body asking for help.  

All of this starts to add up, until finally it becomes too much to handle. Which brings me to my entire point for this post today, last week during class we got to talking about how we deal with things, and I mentioned that I start my day with yoga, and meditation, this helps me get my day started, but how do I keep it going? I do check ins with myself. Sometimes more than once in a day, if I feel something is off balance I ask myself some quick simple questions and it really helps me refocus not just my mental energy, but my physical energy. 

You can ask yourself anything that you feel helps you, these are just a few quick ones to get you started. 

Daily check ins can help you refocus on where you’re putting not just mental energy but physical energy. Think of it as your own self therapy session. You can write about it, or have a conversation with yourself just to let things out, or just simply think it, but checking in can really help in the long run. You bring focus to yourself, and what it is you are doing, or have in the day, becoming more mindful of yourself and your actions/thoughts. 

For example, if I am having a rough patch during my day I take a breath and ask myself what is it that I’m feeling. This makes me stop and take account for what’s happening within my body and mind. Once I answer it, I can start to navigate where I want to go. Somedays it’s easier than others , but the most important part is to keep trying. Don’t be hard on yourself, and have compassion for yourself in these moments. 

Along with daily check ins, it’s also important to take care of yourself. Take time to actaully care for yourself. However you do it, whether a small treat, spa day, or a bath, a movie or a walk, do them daily. Do something for yourself each day.

Give yourself the opportunity to unwind and let go of things that have been weighing you down. Reach out to someone. It’s good to talk to friends, family and even a therapist to get things off your mind, bounce things off of them , it makes us all feel connected, and not alone.

You can search for other Mental Check Ins, there’s many on Pinterest ,some with different questions, others with areas for you to write in. Find what works for you and try it out. 

Do you have any mental check in questions that you ask yourself? What are some things that you enjoy doing for yourself that help recharge? I’d love to hear your thoughts!