This month’s practice is all about awareness. Not awareness on its own, but as a catalyst for growth. Naming our feelings and sensations—whether it's identifying resistance, specific emotions, or physical sensations—creates a sense of separation from them. This process helps us recognize that these experiences are temporary and distinct from our core identity.
What does this have to do with health and nutrition?
EVERYTHING.
Once we can find those connections, noticing first and without judgement, and then naming what it is, we are able to TAKE ACTION and move in a direction that aligns with our values, instead of feeling stuck.
How we feel internally affects a lot of the decisions we make on a daily basis, including what and how we eat, how we respond and react to others, where we choose to put our energy and time (like those time we had intentions to hit the gym after work, but instead chose chips and tv because you felt tense, stressed and exhausted, or felt excited to be celebrating with friends and overindulged in the drinks or desserts, or snapped on your kid because you were worried about something else). It’s real life, friends.
In our hectic lives, filled with constant distractions and tasks, we often overlook our internal experiences. Modern life pulls our attention outward, with screens, notifications and responsibilities constantly vying for our focus. As a result, we often ignore our feelings, thoughts, and even physical sensations like hunger or thirst.
I want to highlight the importance of paying attention to our internal cues with this simple daily practice.
HOW IT WORKS:
Observe. Spend 2-5 minutes each day noticing your body's physical sensations, areas of tension, and current thoughts. Take a deep breath and tune in.
Identify. Name what you observe. Writing it down can enhance this step. For example, if you feel tension in your jaw, you may label it as stress.
Reflect. Ask yourself how you want to respond to these observations, and if there is anything you need to let go of. Example: I am clenching my jaw when I’m thinking about X. It's anger (name). I'm feeling this way because...
Recalibrate. Take a few moments to actively loosen any areas of tension or discomfort. Take some deep breaths, adjusting yourself, perhaps putting a hand to your heart to feel connection with your body. Notice how your mind and body interact.
Decide. Check in. How do you feel now? What do you notice? How would you like to use this awareness for your own personal growth?
Engaging in this practice enhances your awareness and capacity for taking action, enabling you to effectively navigate your inner world while also allowing yourself compassion for being human in a chaotic environment.
In my practice of Notice & Name this week, I was able to notice a tension and resistance in my body and pit in my gut. After chasing that deeper, I discovered the thoughts behind those feelings were coming from fears and worries related to the future. Because I pulled back to see this, I then decided to take action by writing a plan that would help me stay on track with one of my goals. Not only did I diffuse the fear, but I created a proactive solution that may have also saved me from some negative behaviors had I kept going without taking the time for this exercise.
Building this awareness skill can provide a buffer that allows us to choose our responses with more poise and control, as well as practice a more gracious attitude towards ourselves and what we are experiencing.
Try Notice & Name today and let me know what you discover! I would love to hear from you! Send me a message here on the site or email me directly at theroutewellness@gmail.com
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