When we take note, there are a number of “check-in’s” that are part of our daily lives, which are essential for safety, survival, and just a general maintenance of how we proceed through our day, week, and months.
The frequency of the number is endless and daunting, but where are we when it comes to our personal Well-being daily “check-in”? It may be something that really escapes our daily attention and focus and isn’t easy to practice amiss the many demands of our daily lives of work, family, and many other pressing obligations and demands.
The reason I invite you (and myself) to reflect upon and do “check-in’s”, is that it is important to our Well-being and how we balance the demands and stresses of our daily life. I find that often, when I’m working with a variety of clients, many of my clients have benefitted from incorporating daily “check-in’s” as part of their Healing Recovery regardless of whatever issues they are dealing with.
During a recent meditation session, I was reminded of a quote, which goes:
“Mr. Duffy lived his life a good distance from his body.”
So, here are my thoughts about the good, the bad, and the ugly regarding “check-in’s”:
The Good: If you already have a regular mindfulness routine, practice or activity (be that mindful meditation, or walking, or breathing), you are already doing your due diligence, and this would be your daily “check-in”.
The Bad: If you are not doing the above, then you’re missing out on a fruitful opportunity to address self-regulation, focus, concentration, and really get to know that authentic self. After all, mindfulness is willingness to be aware and engage in whatever you observe and comes up no matter what that is.
Again, it would be the good, the bad, and, sometimes, the ugly. So, let’s take a look at the ugly...
The Ugly: If you’re struggling with issues in your life, managing your life, feeling overwhelmed, you are possibly not using the most valuable and available tool to redirect your life into a life that reflects your value in a well-lived life on that road to Psychological Well-being.
So, here’s one of the many “check-in” formulas that I have discovered to be helpful:
Stop: Sit, pause, turn off the phone/TV/or whatever electronic device and take a moment to focus and allow a few gentle, full, complete breaths from the head to the toes and from the toes back to the head.
Observe: Notice what is happening in your body from the neck down. Acknowledge, allowand notice kindly what you are aware of.
Proceed: Mindfully knowing what you noticed while reflecting on what you were aware of and proceeding into your day, and, perhaps, if the opportunity is available, do another “check-in”.
That’s it! Consider it your Psychological Well-being booster shot for the day!
Dr. Ange Puig