Checking In With Yourself

(Let me guide you through this quick process with a free audio. Get yours straight to your inbox here or over there —> in the sidebar.)

I have a client who wants to feel more comfortable getting her creative thing out in the world. We had a good session on Wednesday. At the very end, I took her through a little process to check in with herself, see what her heart wants. We went through it, and at the end she said, “that’s the kind of thing I’d love to see on your website! You talk about it, but I didn’t really get it, until now.”

She asked, you receive!

When you find yourself feeling a little unsure or icky, or like you want to do something but aren’t sure what, rather than pushing through, pause. Take a moment (right now works too) and put your hand on your heart. Inhale, almost as if you could breathe into your hand. Exhale. And again. One more time.

Now, if you haven’t already, turn your attention to your heart. Ask yourself, “How can I best care for myself in this moment?” Then simply observe. Notice the very first thing that pops up.

For my client, it was “red.”

It could be a pictures, a word or phrase, a sensation, a color. It may be very clear, it may not make sense to you right away. If it isn’t clear, sit with it for a few moments. And notice what you notice.

When she sat with “red” for a moment, she pictured riding in her red truck, singing and enjoying herself.

Then give it to yourself the best you’re able in that moment, even if you’re simply imagining it.

She thought about her icky situation, but with that feeling, and it didn’t feel so icky. In fact, it seemed just fine.

Rinse. Repeat.

This is great to do in the moment, as you’re going through your day. If you aren’t sure how that will work for you, you can practice. Seriously. Here’s how:

Think about a situation recently when you felt lost or unsure. And go through the process.

Or for even more fun, think about a situation that might come up in the future, where you could get an unsure or icky feeling. And go through the process.

There are only a couple of rules to follow as you’re playing with this:

1. Be nice to yourself.
2. Observations only (no judgments). If you aren’t sure about this one, refer to #1.

There is no right or wrong, no good or bad. Simply you, learning to care for yourself in each moment.

There’s actually some science behind this. If you’re interested in knowing more, check out The HeartMath Solution. (This links to the book on Powells, the best independent bookstore in the world, rather than the Heartmath website because it is more informative!)

I’d love it if you’d try this (get the free audio guide here) and let me know how it goes.