Becoming Aware of Your Mental Wellbeing
It can be easy to get caught up in the daily challenges and responsibilities of life without pausing and asking yourself, “How am I doing today?” Although this question sounds trivial on the surface, it is important to really dive deep into this thought and to be honest with yourself.
Why is it important to check on yourself? Giving yourself a moment to think inwardly can bring your true thoughts, feelings, and emotions to the surface and expose how you are coping with them, in both healthy and unhealthy ways. Being aware of these coping mechanisms gives you insight into how they may be affecting your mental wellbeing. For example, you might be repressing some feelings you have toward your roommate, causing unnecessary tension and anxiety in your life and making you feel as if you are “stuck.” If you realize you use a lot of unhealthy coping mechanisms for situations like these, it could be time to talk to someone about how you are feeling and finding new, and healthier, ways of dealing with your emotions.
One easy way to become more aware of your thoughts and emotions is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness allows you to become fully aware of what is going on around you and how you are truly feeling in a non-judgmental way. Some popular techniques of mindful thinking include meditation, yoga, or tai-chi. A simple deep-breathing exercise can also help you to focus your thoughts and attention on the present.
Maybe mindfulness is not your thing, what else could you do to check on yourself? An easy way of pausing and assessing your needs can be found in the acronym HALT. HALT includes four separate questions to ask yourself:
- Am I Hungry?
- Am I Angry?
- Am I Lonely?
- Am I Tired?
Based on the answers to these questions, you can decide on what to do next. If you are hungry, eat a healthy snack. If you are angry, go for a jog or walk to calm yourself down and, if need be, confront the situation you are angry about in a rational way. If you are lonely, ask a friend out to coffee or call a relative. If you are tired, allow yourself to take a thirty minute nap or go to sleep early that night.
It is important to give ourselves time every day to assess our own needs, especially when life becomes hectic. Pausing and becoming truly aware of how we feel at the present moment can improve our mental wellbeing and allows us to be honest with ourselves: How am I really feeling?
A great resource that includes meditations and community discussions on mental health is the Pacifica app! Sign up with your TAMU email to receive all of the app’s resources entirely FREE! Just search the word “Pacifica” on your smartphone.
TAMU’s 24/7 Student Counseling Helpline: 979-845-2700
Student Counseling Services Website: https://scs.tamu.edu/