Funny title, right? Checking in with yourself sounds like something we do for other people. How would one even begin to check in with themselves? I mean, what do you do, talk to yourself in front of the mirror?

I mean by ‘checking in’ to have the brutal yet honest conversation with yourself about everything that is going on in your space, whether good or bad. This could be done in written or verbal format and is a great way to face any issue that weighs you down. It’s essential to do this daily (maybe even twice a day) because when we aren’t dealing with our problems head-on, they tend to take up more and more mental space, and that’s one key factor that can lead us to stress, anxiety and depression.

Your emotional state can be hard to understand; unlike your physical state, it isn’t visible to the eye. You don’t know what you don’t know. However, our emotional state plays a massive role in our everyday lives. It all starts with our thinking process. My mentor, January Donovan taught me the thought process in the easiest possible form:

1. Thoughts lead to Emotions
   1. Example: “I don’t like this person” turns to being annoyed and frustrated whenever that person comes around you
2. Emotions lead to a chemical reactive in your brain that takes all the information and processes it.
3. Example: You are annoyed by that person that you don’t like, so your mind automatically thinks this person is not good. You don’t even know this person enough to realize whether they are good or bad, but since you thought this way, your brain processed that information.
4. Chemical Reactive leads back to your Thoughts
   1. Definitely do not like this person
5. Thoughts lead to your Behavior
   1. You ignore the person, or you are rude
6. That Behavior becomes your story
   1. “Well, I am who I am, and I don’t like her.”

This exercise is vital and can be done with any experience in your life.  When you consciously think about your inner dialogue, and see how it is showing up in your behavior, you will start to be aware that you are in control and not fall back into your old behavior. Let these five steps be your wakeup call whenever you feel frustrated or unhappy about something.

Remember, the thoughts you focus on will expand, so please always try to think about things that empower you and give you joy.

If you want to learn more about your thinking process, or how to manage your mind, check out my new program, where we work on a holistic approach, working from the inside out. It is a three-month fitness and personal development program that will focus on the WHOLE YOU (mental, physical, and spiritual).

I hope this blog helps you or someone you know. As always, I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing to manage your thoughts and your mind?

Always,

Luwame