Emotional awareness refers to the ability to recognise and understand one's own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This includes:
Being able to identify and label different emotions
Understanding the causes of those emotions, and
Being able to express them in a healthy way
Identifying emotions is the first step for managing overwhelming feelings during stressful moments. This can help recognise patterns in emotional responses that may be caused by certain triggers, on the basis of which one can develop coping strategies.
For example, if one is aware that they tend to feel anxious in social situations, they can develop a plan to manage this anxiety, such as practicing relaxation techniques before attending social events. In short, self-awareness is the foundation of emotional regulation. It allows individuals to understand and acknowledge their own emotions, which in turn allows them to manage their emotions in a healthy way.
The goal of an emotional check-in is to increase self-awareness. An emotional check-in is a process of taking time to reflect on and understand one's own emotions. It involves pausing to ask yourself questions such as, "What emotions am I experiencing right now?" or "What physical sensations am I feeling in my body?" and being honest with yourself about the answers. This allows you to take a step back and understand what is causing these feelings, and can help you to feel more in control of your emotions and reactions.
How to Check-in with your Emotions
Emotional check-in can be done in different ways, for instance, by practicing mindfulness, journaling, talking to a therapist, or simply taking a few minutes to reflect on your feelings. It is a way of being present in the moment and allowing yourself to feel and process your emotions in a healthy way.
A small start would be by naming a song or identifying an emoji for your feelings at this moment
when you are reading the blog and mentioning it in the comments below.
By taking the time to identify your emotions in a creative way, you can better understand what is causing them and how to manage them. But if you relate with this image,
Here are some alternative ways to tap into the power of emotional check-ins.
Morning Check-ins:
By starting the day with a morning check-in, you can be more in tune with your emotions, set an intention for the day, and develop a plan to manage emotions and improve emotional well-being throughout the day.
Here are some prompts that can be used during a morning emotional check-in:
How am I feeling right now?
What might have contributed to my current emotional state?
Are there any triggers that I need to be aware of today?
What kind of day do I want to have?
What can I do to align with that intention?
By reflecting on these prompts, you can increase your self-awareness, understand your current emotional state, and set an intention for the day. Additionally, it can be helpful to document the answers to these prompts in a journal or a mood tracker for future reference.
Wheel of Emotion:
Sometimes all of us struggle to explain our emotions to others or make sense of what exactly we are feeling. Emotional check-in methods like the emotion wheel shown below can also be used as a tool for emotional self-awareness.
To use it, you can start by taking a moment to reflect on how you are feeling in the moment, and then try to identify which section of the wheel best represents your current emotion.
Once you have identified the emotion, you can reflect on what might have caused that emotion and how you can manage it. By understanding the different emotions you experience, you can develop better emotional regulation.
The Wheel of Emotion - a visual tool used to help identify and understand emotions.
Mood Trackers:
Mood trackers are tools that can be used to track one's emotional state over time. They can be used in conjunction with a morning check-in to help individuals increase self-awareness and understand patterns in their emotions.
Mood trackers come in various forms, including paper-based journals, apps, or even simple spreadsheets personalised in a way that works for you!
Paper-based journal: Use a notebook or journal to record your emotional state, triggers, thoughts and coping mechanisms. You can use words, emojis or rating scales to express your emotions. Pinterest and YouTube are full of many ideas for creative and engaging mood trackers.
Digital Mood Tracker: There are many apps available for tracking moods, such as MyBubble, Amaha, Daylio, Tochi, Moodpress and others. These apps can be used to record emotions, triggers, and coping mechanisms, and often include features such as graphs and charts to show patterns in emotions over time.
By regularly tracking one's emotional state, individuals can begin to identify patterns and trends in their emotions. For example, they may notice that they tend to feel more anxious on Sundays or that certain events or situations consistently lead to negative emotions. With this information, one can try to figure out what causes these negative emotions in order to develop strategies to manage their emotions more effectively.
Conclusion
The power of checking in with your emotions lies in the ability to gain self-awareness and to manage your emotions in a healthy way. By taking the time to reflect on your emotions, you can gain a better understanding of yourself to manage your emotions more effectively, make better decisions, and develop greater resilience in the face of stress and adversity.
To sum up, checking-in with emotions on a long term helps give language to what you’re feeling, and develops the ability to recognise patterns which can be addressed by you.
However, it is important to note that being emotionally self-aware does not mean that one will always be able to control or change their emotions. It is about accepting and understanding them, and it is a process that takes time and practice. Overall, emotional check-ins are a simple, yet powerful tool for improving emotional well-being and overall quality of life.
If you have any questions, you can leave them in the comments below. Additionally, you can share a link of a playlist on Spotify in which you can add a song for an emotion you are feeling currently.
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