Over the last week I've been sharing a lot of ideas about ways of being, and their impact on our quality of life.
The first step on this journey is to notice how we are at any given moment. But noticing how we are is often a huge challenge.
After all, we spend so much time in what I described as "Normal" (which could be anxious, stressed, worried, or any other form of upset) that we forget that being "Natural" is even a possibility. Because we don't notice how we are, we can't do anything about it.
The good news is, there is an everyday question that can help us pay attention.
"How are you?"
Most of the time, we'll answer "fine" or "busy". Maybe even "good!", even if that's not true, because we don't want to pay attention to how we're really feeling or share it with someone else.
But it's a great opportunity to check in with yourself, build your self awareness and begin to notice your patterns.
How am I really? Am I calm? Am I upset? Am I happy? Am I on the rumble strips? Bonus points for wondering whether you'd like to feel that way.
You don't need to reveal how you are to the other person.
The other day I was asked "how are you?", on 10 separate occasions in person and via text messages. That was 10 opportunities to check in with myself. This increased level of self-awareness helped me settle down.
So next time someone asks "how are you", pause, reflect and see what happens.
