Downloads
Check-in checklist:
This list has some common sources of stres. Not all will apply to you, and you can add your own. Some categories will overlap.
Bodily needs
- hungry/signs of low blood sugar
- thirsty/signs of need to hydrate
- tired/sleepy
- pain/discomfort
- need bathroom
- too hot or cold
- need to stretch/move/stim
- (empty space to add your own)
Emotional needs
- signs of hypo-arousal/freeze/shutdown
- signs of hyper-arousal/fight/flight/meltdown
- strong emotions
- feeling impact of demands/expectations
- "peopled out"
- (empty space to add your own)
Sensory needs
- overstimulated
- understimulated
- noise sensitivity
- light sensitivity
- scent sensitivity
- tactile sensitivity
- food preferences unmet
- vestibular sensitivity (e.g., motion sick)
- urge to move (proprioceptive need)
- (empty space to add your own)
Mental needs
- bored
- processing new information
- processing multiple streams of input
- need to externalize mental tasks
- routine disruption
- (empty space to add your own)
Self-care options list:
- meet bodily needs that may be relevant
- reduce mental load (e.g., to-do list, brain dump, Goblin Tools, Routine Flow)
- self-advocate
- self-accommodate
- identify emotions and underlying needs
- take a break then try again
- share with a trusted person
- request support (specific to what you want)
- do something soothing/active to down/up-regulate
- (empty space to add your own)
Developing Emotional Awarness Using the Feelings Wheel
Emotional awareness can help with self-reflection,
personal growth, decision-making, and communication.
Here is a step-by-step process for growing this skill:
- Do a body scan.
- Identify the emotion category
- Hone in
- Pause & accept
- Journal about it
- What does this feeling show I need?
- How can I care for that need?
- What do I believe about myself when I feel this way?
- How did I learn that lesson earlier in life?
- What does this show me I need?
- Explore further
Pay attention to sensations in each part of your body, one by one. Mentally note sensations like warmth/coolness, calm/energy, tension/looseness. You can use a guided meditation to help you: . The ability to feel these things is called interoception, and some people need more practice to be able to sense these things.
Look at the feelings wheel at feelingswheel.com (opens in a new tab), and pick the term in the center that seems most relevant. It's okay to guess. People experience physical sensations of emotions differently, so you'll be building your personal awareness of your feelings over time.
In the outer rings of the feelings wheel, for the category you chose, notice which words seem to resonate more for you. Try not to rely on your head to answer this, but ask your body which ones just "seem" more right. Pick 1-3 emotion words this way.
Write down the feelings you identified and in first-person language, like, "I feel...." Pause to accept that these feel true for some parts of you right now, even if other parts of you know that's not the whole picture.
Here are some possible prompts:
Feelings are often layered and complex. Check for feelings in other categories--even categories that seem dissimilar or conflicting (such as gratitude and grief together). Follow the same process again to acknowledge them.
Final suggestions
Recognizing your emotions helps you decide
how to take care of yourself and how to invite
others to show you care, too.
Emotional awareness is a skill that grows with
practice over time. Try doing this process a few times
this week and see how you grow!
Remember: All feelings exist for your
good. Even the painful ones have positive intentions
you can discover, if you listen with compassion.
Therapy can help when it's hard to hold space for or
understand your feelings alone.
Attribution
image of A Pathway To You logo and QR code for A Pathway to You website From Dr. Stephani Jahn, LMHC. For more, visit http://apathwaytoyou.com/resources