feeling off? use this checklist
written by Jasmine Irven
These past few months have been filled with feelings of being in limbo. While we all know that there’s a lot of things in life that are out of our control, I think recently this has been amplified and illustrated to us in very direct ways.
Maybe you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, stressed, more anxiety, or simply a sense of daily unease — maybe you know immediately why these feelings have been coming up, or maybe you’re unsure, but the bottom line is you’re feeling “off” and it’s not enjoyable.
While I can’t offer an end-all, be-all solution (we’re all unique and often simply need to look inwards to determine next steps), I have crafted a simple checklist you can go through when you’re feeling this way.
This checklist offers a step-by-step process you can take to begin to further acknowledge these feelings, navigate them, and begin to take steps to move from feeling “off” to hopefully feeling more in control and at peace. More acceptance rather than judgement and criticism.
1. when was the last time you drank water? drink some water, please!
Hydration is SO important and often still overlooked. Ask yourself when the last time you drank water was. If your answer is anything more than “very recently, I have a glass right beside me” — I’d suggest getting up and grabbing a glass!
The simple act of hydration can help to move energy around in your body and can help you instantly start to feel better, even just by knowing you’re taking care of yourself.
Had a glass? (I’ll wait). Okay, next on the list —
2. when was the last time you ate? eat something nourishing!
Along similar lines, it can be easy to forget to eat when we constantly have stuff on our to-do list or are overwhelmed with external things. But the reality is that our body and all the cells within it require certain nutrients to do their job and help us function!
If we’re not nourishing our bodies with good food regularly, we can start to feel fatigued, more stressed, or a sense of discomfort.
So, are you able to nourish your body right now through a simple snack or meal? We’ve curated some simple ideas for plant-based, healthy snacks in this post.
3. when was the last time you got up? can you take a few moments to stretch or walk around right now?
Noticing a theme here? Often when we’re not feeling ourselves, it’s important first to go through some of the most “basic” forms of self care — nourishing our bodies in ways that are often forgotten about or overlooked.
Movement is one of those other key factors and though it can sometimes be daunting it doesn’t have to be! Simply flip on a YouTube yoga or stretching video (I like this one or this one), go on a walk, or dance for a few minutes around your space. Whatever gets you moving around and your energy flowing!
4. can you get some fresh air?
If you can, take some time to connect with nature. Walk outside. Feel the sunshine on your skin and the ground beneath your feet.
These are things we often can forget about when we spend so much time indoors but they are such a simple way to add more happiness, peace, and clarity to your life.
If you can’t go outside, bring the outdoors in! Greenery is a great way to bring more happiness and beauty to your space. Plants clean the air, reduce stress, and help us feel more at ease.
If greenery isn’t an option, simply open a window and take a few deep, cleansing breaths.
5. take some time to disconnect
I think we can all agree that we feel better when we disconnect. While social media and the Internet offer a variety of benefits, they also come with a lot of comparison, a lot of judgement, and a lot of negativity.
Allow yourself time (ideally daily) to disconnect with the online world, and instead reconnect with yourself. Focus on creation over consumption, focus on yourself rather than others, ask yourself what you want rather than relying on the world to tell you.
6. consider connecting with others
I say consider because each situation is different, but I’d invite you to ask yourself when the last time you connected with friends and family was.
If it was quite some time ago, consider texting or calling a family member, or scheduling a Zoom call with a group of friends. If this isn’t possible, listen to a podcast that really resonates with you, find an event where you can connect with a community, or join a Facebook group (like ours!) of like-minded people and see if you can schedule a virtual coffee date!
If, on the other hand, you’ve been around friends and family a lot recently and they’re even potentially led to some of these feelings of overwhelm or unease, know that that’s also completely okay.
Expanding on our idea of disconnecting, it’s okay to take time to simply take some time to go inwards. To schedule a date night with yourself or do something that makes you feel great — just you. Consider making a sustainable bliss list that you can lean on in times like this.
It’s totally up to you to navigate your current feelings depending on your circumstances. Be honest with yourself!
7. get some clarity
Sometimes when we’re feeling off, it’s because we’re feeling unfulfilled or like we aren’t in alignment with our higher selves.
In these moments, it’s important to take a step back and focus on how you can begin to refine your life to match your vision. We wrote a full blog post about this here but essentially the main steps are:
Doing a brain dump and/or stream of consciousness writing. These journaling practises involve writing with no filter; allowing yourself to release anything that’s on your mind.
Gain clarity on what’s important to you by connecting with your inner self. Meditate (or try these alternatives to meditation), go on a walk, try some visualizations, talk to yourself out loud, etc.
Get a super clear vision of what your ideal life looks like. Visualize it, feel into it, and write down everything you see in this vision. Then, compare with with where you are now. What’s currently filling up your calendar? Do these things reflect your values? Are they important to you? Ask yourself why your calendar is filled the way it is. Then, start to cut down or make shifts saying no to things that don’t serve you. Focus on creating more space to do what will fill your cup.
8. complete a mini life edit
If these feelings have been going on for some time, it may be time to take some more permanent action steps. When your life itself is cluttered, it can feel heavy & unfulfilling.
So, show yourself and/or your space some love by taking an audit of some of the things in it: people, your environment, the food in your cupboards, your daily routines, your online presence, etc. Ask yourself what is no longer serving you and take this as an opportunity to clear space.
P.s. we originally spoke about this concept in our post 19 ways to raise your vibration which might give you some more ideas on how to shift your energy!
I hope these ideas are helpful for navigating those feelings that you aren’t quite sure where they stem from. Consider putting this list in the notes app on your phone (along with any other steps you think might help you!) so you have it to look at when you’re feeling “off.”
Know that it’s completely normal to feel this way. Try to accept these feelings without judgement, simply acknowledging them as they are, looking at if these feelings are trying to tell you anything specific, and knowing that these feelings will pass in time.
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about the author
Hey there! I’m Jasmine, founder of the Sustainable Bliss Collective, a Certified Meditation Teacher, and lover of all things self-care, slow-living, and personal development.
I believe that ambition and self-care can coexist, and as such I hope to encourage and inspire you to take care of yourself, breathe deeply, connect with who you are, manifest your dreams, enjoy the blissful moments of each day, and make an impact in this beautiful world we call home.
Connect with me on Instagram here!
