Feeling ‘Off’? 7 Questions that Will Always Help You Feel Better
A personal anecdote: I was explaining to my own coach that I'd recently had a day where I was feeling quite ‘off’ - anxious, low energy, bad mood, fluttery heart, tight stomach.
I was also telling him that although I had tried to think of one, I couldn't find any reason to be feeling like this. I wasn't particularly worried about anything. There was nothing negative or particular going on in my life, and the next day I was feeling alright again.
He took me through a series of questions that gave me insight into the mental acrobatics that we needlessly put ourselves through.
You see, I had been actively looking for something to attach these uncomfortable sensations to. As a result, I brought up many otherwise dormant negative thoughts, and held myself back even more that day. I started questioning myself, “Maybe things weren’t right with my partner? Should I be more worried about finances or my future? Was my work good enough these days? Perhaps I should be doing more about my health and wellness.”
Really none of these doubts were valid. I was creating them because I felt like I needed something to explain why I wasn’t feeling as calm, in such a good mood, or as energetic as usual.
Instead I should have been asking myself these questions.
The 7 questions that will save you time, energy and unnecessary worry
Am I hungry?
Am I hydrated?
Am I tired?
Have I had enough fresh air and sunlight?
Have I had enough movement in the day?
Have I taken enough breaks from screens?
Have I had enough (preferably in-person) interaction with positive/supportive people?
So simple and obvious. Yet I had failed to consider any of them - instead, I had been searching for more vague, complex explanations.
Looking back, I remembered that the night before I'd had wine with dinner, which caused me to wake up in the middle of the night. I didn't get back to sleep easily. So no, I was not rested enough.
In the morning, I’d had breakfast, but I probably was dehydrated. I live in the Caribbean. It’s hot, and we sweat more than usual.
After breakfast, I’d gone straight to my computer and spent the morning online. I had not been outside and I had not moved my body much.
I work from home and hadn’t seen friends in a few days.
Basically, I was experiencing physical sensations that felt similar to anxiety and low mood, because my body was trying to tell me that its needs had not been met.
What I actually needed to do was very simple: eat, rest, hydrate myself, detach from my computer, get outside for fresh air, sunlight, move and connect with someone different. Mostly easy, free and immediately achievable solutions.
Instead, my first instinct had been to forget about my body and go up into my head, looking for more complicated mental and emotional reasons as to why I was feeling off - I didn’t solve my problem, and actually made it worse.
So, next time you’re feeling low or anxious, stay out of your head, and instead ask yourself those questions first.
Then address any unmet physical needs that your answers indicate. Even better, satisfy them all anyway.
Only when your body is satisfied, then give yourself permission to move into your headspace, and explore what else may be troubling you.
I suspect that 9 times out of 10, by satisfying your body's physical needs, your other needs will be taken care of too.
And if not, you’ll still be in a much stronger position to deal with whatever those other needs are.
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Siobhán Gallagher is a coach, educator and writer focused on the intersection between communication, self-leadership and wellbeing.
Join her mailing list or book a discovery call to learn more. Connect at siobhangallagher.co, LinkedIn and Instagram.