What do I need?

In the spirit of the holiday season, we tend to sometimes forget about how we are truly feeling.

Some of us may have various family activities and get-togethers. Some of us might be grieving a loss of a loved one. Some of us might still be distancing (or need to distance) during continued COVID-19 or simply choosing boundaries for ourselves. Some of us might be alone.

Let’s not forget to take care of us while going through the motions of everything.

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Sometimes I forget how long it may have been since I reflected on what I really need, until my body or emotions are telling me something is wrong.

I like to identify this as “the crash has already happened, what were the warning signs?”

I will encourage clients to imagine they’re driving their car, and suddenly they’re at a construction site. We must have missed all of the detours, signposts, etc., telling us that this was approaching.

SO: When you notice that something feels off, let’s look back to see what we missed.

Example: I feel burnt-out. I feel sad. Why am I feeling this way?

How to explore: How long have I been feeling off? What did my week look like? Is there something I am suppressing?

Sometimes, to cure a burn-out, we can just look at the basic, lowest-level needs that we may have not met at the moment:

These could be the very signs we need to avoid the crash and burn.

-Do I need to eat?
-When did I last drink water?
-Have I been able to go outside today?
-When was the last time I stretched?

Then, we can decide “Or is this something I need to deal with? Is there something I need to process here?”

Are you feeling lost on where to go? Reach out. We can figure it out together.