What's Going on With Ourselves: Checking on Our Physical and Mental Health

This has been such a weird month for me. There’s a ton of physical and emotional ups and downs, and I'm wondering why I'm feeling this way. I’ve heard from clients and others that they have had experiences like this. If you have had this experience, it can be frustrating dealing with a dip in your mood and feeling physical symptoms such as exhaustion. 

When considering how to navigate these feelings and check in on ourselves, I think it’s beneficial to examine what may be happening. By understanding what’s going on, we can figure out how to navigate it. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all guide, but rather some suggestions that can help.

So when we feel off, it’s good to check a couple of things:

1. Is this mental, physical, or both?

2. If Physical things to check:

• How’s my sleep? Am I getting enough sleep? Is it consistent?

• How's your eating? Are you eating enough that gives you energy?

• Have you been to the doctor? Got any checks on blood, vitamin levels. Thyroid

• Are you getting proper health checks according to your body?

• Do you take substances, and how much?

• Are you exercising or getting some form of activity?

1. If mental things to check:

• What are your feelings? Is there an emotion arising that is being affected by your thoughts? (anger, sadness, embarrassment, shame, jealousy, disgust, etc.)

• Is there something that’s on your mind?

• Is there something making you feel depressed? 

• Is there something making you feel anxious?

• Are you feeling overwhelmed? What's making you feel that way?

• Are you isolating yourself?

• Are there people you want to reach out to?

• Are you feeling overstimulated? By what?

These are just some things to check into to help navigate where you are at. Suppose you have a hard time asking yourself and finding out these things. Remember to give yourself space to process if you can’t think clearly, and also consider reaching out to a professional therapist to help navigate some of these thoughts.

There will be times when we feel off, and it’s beneficial to understand our bodies to help identify our needs, whether they are physical, mental, or both. It’s ok not to know immediately, but even being able to figure out what it’s not can also help. It’s good to be in tune with our bodies to help address our emotional and physical needs to support the quality of our lives.