Taking the time to check in with yourself is a very important routine to establish. Oftentimes, these check ins are completed for physical health; between routine doctor and dentist visits, recognizing when an illness or aches and pains begin. When a headache or fever begins, most will take medication to assist in feeling better. While it is important to pay attention to your physical health, it is also important to focus on your mental well-being. Sometimes you may be experiencing stress, sadness, or anger without either realizing it or taking the time to take care of yourself in those moments.
Begin by taking the time at least once per day to evaluate how you are feeling. Ask yourself, “how am I feeling today”? Rate any critical emotion on a scale of 1 (being the least) to 10 (being the most), emotions to take into consideration would be anger, sadness, stress, and happiness. Make sure to be honest and avoidant of judgement when checking in with your emotions. If you are not honest, then the check in won’t be as effective.
If you find yourself rating difficult emotions on a higher level take the time to acknowledge this emotion and identify any potential contributing factors. Take the time to then ask yourself, “what is contributing to my current mood”. Sometimes there may not be an answer to this question and that is okay, you may just not be having the best day. However, if you can identify what is causing an increase in stress, sadness, or anger, take the time to evaluate if there is anything you can do to address these stressors. Some examples may include taking a break, getting some fresh air, tackling the problem head on, deep breathing, etc.
In addition to evaluating how you are feeling, you can incorporate checking in on your self-care for the day. Ask yourself, “what have I done to bring joy to my day?”. Take a moment to reflect on your day thus far and notice any activities or actions that you engaged in to intentionally bring joy to your day. If you find that you’re having difficulty in answering this question, it is important to take this into consideration. Look at it as an opportunity to plan something later in the day that brings you joy and helps you engage in self-care. It is important to consistently look at ways to bring joy into your daily routine to help increase your overall mood.
Lastly, take the time to check in on your physiological well-being as this plays a part in mental health functioning. Ask yourself, “have I been taking care of my body today?”. Evaluate how much water you’ve drank, the food you’ve eaten, the amount of sleep you had gotten the night prior, and if you’ve been physically active. Make sure to tend to any area that you may have found yourself lacking in while also taking the time to actively engage in these activities as the day proceeds.
Overall, checking in on your mental health is important daily to ensure a positive overall wellbeing. If you are going into a day that you know is filled with increased stressors, you may find it helpful to do more than one check-in with yourself.
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