Our bodies register things before our brains do. So at times, our body is giving us warning signals that we don’t even recognize as warning signals for anxiety. We often just feel 'off' and chalk it up to that. But what happens when we pay closer attention and ask ourselves more questions?
Watch for these indicators:
Tension headaches
digestive issues
racing heart
Feelings that may actually be anxiety:
worry
overwhelm
nervousness
stress
fear
September focused on Overwhelm so check out this blog post where I talk more about what to do when you have overwhelming thoughts.
And listen to this Big Kid Pod episode where I give you 3 tips on ways to overcome the overwhelm.
The most helpful habit I started was keeping track of all of the times I felt 'anxious indicators'. I logged everything in mood tracker in my journal. Along the y-axis (the vertical line) I will list emotions that range from stuck in fear to mindful to the MAX.
I have always logged my moods at 3 different times of the day because I'm sure just like you, my moods fluctuate and I wanted to honour that part of myself by choosing 3 different parts of my day instead of just one.
Doing this lets me check-in with myself, so I do my first check in the morning after my AM routine. I do another check-in in the afternoon and then one more time in the evening, after dinner. And to be fair this check-in time also changes. If something happened during the day that really triggered me, I'll track that mood specifically.
To look back at the month as a whole and see which times of the day, or even which days were harder helps become more self-aware.
I started noticing a pattern where my moods would hit an indulgent low in the afternoon. I call this the classic 'mid-day lul' aka cerebral congestion.
How do you experience this part of your day?
I feel draggy AF like I need an IV of coffee or a mad sugar rush. But instead of reaching for these things I'll do a kind self-care activity. I'll go for a walk outside. Feel my feet on the sidewalk and breathe in the fresh air. I'll do a quick 3-5 minute meditation. I'll check in with a friend. This recharges me and pulls me out of that
Some days are better than others but when you start to notice patterns it tells me that something else to change. So now I take breaks. I say no. I remember to keep putting myself first.
Notice your habits, and then choose again. Instead of ignoring all of the things and all of the feelings start to pay attention to the when's and the why's.
This simple step can help guide you through your own darkness towards more clarity.
What are some of your go-to things to become more self-aware when you find yourself in a 'mood?'
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