A quick, helpful quiz

Today, I have a quick, helpful 3-question quiz for you (who doesn’t love a quiz?):

Question #1: How do you feel, in this moment?

Answers to this question must be physical sensations — things that you can feel in your body.“Sad” or “Happy” are not physical sensations.

You might have an easier time if you used this great list — try to complete the sentence “I feel ______ in my ______” (e.g., I feel buzzy in my belly. I feel fluttery in my chest.)

Question #2: How do you want to feel today?

Answers must also be actual physical sensations — “I want to feel light and energized today.”

Question #3:What actions can you take, today, to feel that way in your body?

Be realistic, please.

…

So often, when we think about what we “want,” we think about what we want to achieve (“I want to get everything done on my to-do list”) or emotions we want to feel (“I want to feel happy!”)

Achievements and emotions are great, but they can also be surprisingly difficult to control. Maybe you’d like to do everything on your to-do list, there simply isn’t time, or the other people’s actions get in the way. Maybe you do everything “right,” but you still don’t feel happy!

Physical sensations, however, are often more within our control.

I might not be able to “force” myself to be happy, but if I notice that I want to feel “relaxed and open,” I can take actions that make me feel more relaxed and open in my body — even in the midst of an incredibly busy day or at a crowded social event. And if I feel more relaxed and open, I will have an overall improved sense of well-being — even if I still have some lingering sadness, for example.  

When I took this quiz, at 2:14 pm on a Tuesday, I noticed that I was feeling a little trembly and fluttery in my chest and belly. I’d like to feel spacious and calm.

I spent a couple of moments thinking about what I wanted to prioritize, for my afternoon and evening (stretching my body, not filling every moment of downtime with entertainment, staying off of the internet except for work). Sure, I already knew that those things made me feel good, but if I hadn’t done this exercise, I probably would have spent my time differently.

So, how do you want to feel today? What actions can you take that will help you feel that way?

p.s. Given the season that we’re in, this is a great one to do before a challenging (or even very exciting!) holiday party or event.

You’ve got this.

Katie