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Are you in tune with how you are feeling?
January 11, 2022

Are you in Tune

How are you feeling? (someone asks), “Great! Fine!” (you reply). Is that the true feeling you are having, or is that just what seems to come out naturally? Without the pressures of work and a hectic lifestyle, we now have the time to take a closer look and get a deeper understanding of how we actually feel.


Why is that important?


If you want to impact change in your lifestyle, you first have to obtain a better understand of which components of your life drive different feelings.


One of our family members recently met with a nutritionist. After the meeting we had a conversation on how to change her mind set about when she eats or what she eats. I suggested to her rather than focus on the “what” or “when” she eats, how about thinking about how it makes you feel after eating it. That feeling is most likely to help you make the changes needed to your mindset to help meet your goals. For instance, I know that when I eat red meat, I don’t feel great afterwards. Whenever tempted to indulge, I recall that feeling and instead of feeling like I am missing out on how things would taste in the moment, I think about how they will make me feel later. The reflection on that feeling almost always makes me change my behavior.


At this stage of your life you have more time for reflection on your feelings. Back in the day, life was so busy, we just made choices in the moment. Now, you have time to reflect on how that choice will make you feel. Be introspective, think about how you feel when you take a yoga class, how you feel after a healthy meal, or how you feel when you skip a few days of exercise. It’s important to take the time to recognize your feelings as they may have a tremendous impact on your next actions. If you think to yourself, I will feel better if I go for a walk for 30 minutes today, or, I am feeling rested and ready for connection today, I am going to use this feeling to take an action and make a call to a relative that I have been putting off.


You may even notice a larger perspective on your life and choices when you take the time to analyze your feelings. For instance, you may realize that you feel your best when you are visiting warmer climates. When contemplating your residence for the next phase of your life, you may take the time to truly investigate the possibility of moving to a warmer climate. Or, you may recall the exhilaration of the snow against your face while skiing up in Vermont, followed by a warm and cozy fire later that day. Perhaps that feeling will ignite the desire to plan a vacation with your family to share those same memories that made you feel so good. Maybe a feeling you once had when volunteering during your career days, will ignite an action to get more involved with a local organization.


So, how are you feeling? What do you do to make yourself feel better – Physically, mentally, or in your relationships? How have your feelings turned into proactive actions?