By: Kelsey Wooten, LPC
Counseling can be a really wonderful space to learn more about yourself, gain insight, explore different topics, and learn tools to help manage life’s ups and downs. When I talk with my clients about their anxiety or we are discussing a really bad day they had I will ask them a series of questions such as:
“Had you eaten that day?”
“How did you sleep the night before?”
“How’s your water intake?”
“What was your emotional state?”
These questions seem very basic but they get at the core of how someone is functioning (eating/hydrating, sleeping, mood). If you’re hungry, tired, and dehydrated it’s so much harder to maintain focus, be centered, have energy, and manage your emotions well. Think back to a day at school or work when you felt like this. It most likely was a really hard or crappy day.
Taking care of ourselves is often overlooked when things feel stressful or chaotic. It doesn’t feel like you have time to take a lunch break, stretch, or go for a walk; as the saying goes if you don’t take a break your body will take it for you.
So the next time you aren’t feeling well remember this acronym:
HALT – hungry, anger, lonely, tired
It’s important to have a solid foundation in order to build on, so remember to start at and go back to the basics!
If you or someone you know is looking to better manage stress, Sonder Counseling is now accepting new clients. Call or email today!