Self-Awareness through a Body Scan

Self-Awareness through a Body Scan

Your Mind

Learning how to self-assess our mood, our energy, and our well-being ensures mindfulness as we enter into the workplace. Click each button on the body to learn more through a body scan.

Your Heart

Your Lungs

Finish

Your Stomach

Your Mind

anxious betrayed cautious confused fearful overwhelmed

annoyed bitter detached humiliated jealous

The input your brain receives and sends is often unconscious and unexamined.How are you feeling, really? Click each button to expand the feelings wheel.

Anger

Surprise

Sadness

Happiness

accepted bold optimistic proud successful supported

disappointed guilty hopeless insecure lonely victimized

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Rhythm

Your Heart

We only tend to notice our heartbeat when we feel unwell.Place your hand over your chest, or at the base of your throat. What do you notice about your heartbeat?

Caffeine

Anxiety

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Hunger

Your Stomach

Upset

We often only pay attention to our stomach when it's almost time for lunch!How does your stomach feel in this moment?

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Your Lungs

Breaths

Congestion

Breathing is automatic : in through the nose, out through the mouth. Inhale deeply, hold your breath, and exhale. What do you notice about your lungs?

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By paying attention to our body, we can take time to take care of ourselves before we interact with others.

Thu-thu, Thu-thu

An 8 ounce cup of decaf coffee has 15 milligrams of caffeine.An 8 oz regular cup of coffee has 95 mg. An 8 oz matcha green tea has 30 mg. And some energy drinks can have 200 - 300 mg. Mayo Clinic recommends no more than 400 mg of caffeine per day.

• How much caffeine have you had today?
• How much do you regularly have?
• What does it feel like when you have no caffeine, enough caffeine, or too much caffeine?

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Thu-thump

When we count a heartbeat, we often notice the first movement. However, there are four chambers of the heart, so in reality, one "heartbeat" has four movements. The right atrium receives blood, and the right ventricle pumps oxygen-poor blood to the lungs. The left atrium receives blood from the lungs, and the left ventricle pumps to the body.

• Try to feel the thu-thump of the left and right ventricles.
• Take sixty seconds to count how many heartbeats you have in one minute.
• Take long, slow deep breaths. Notice how this changes the rhythm of your heartbeat.

Thu-thu, Thu-thu

Feeling nervous is a normal, common occurence. However, a prolonged feeling of irregular or forceful heartbeats might be an indicator of out-of-control stress. If heart palpitations are accompanied by shallow breathing or chest pain or dizziness, this might indicate that feeling nervous has now become anxiety.

• When you notice yourself feeling nervous, what steps do you take to calm down?
• What activates your feelings of nervousness in the workplace?

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Hunger

Eating is a habit anchored by time of day. Sometimes, we snack when we are stressed, or we skip meals when overwhelmed with work. We might not notice when we are hungry until the sensation is hard to ignore. Consider what you eat and how often you eat. What about how often you drink water?

• Check in with your mouth, your throat, and your stomach. Is it hunger? Is it thirst?
• Reach for gum for a minty sensation

Upset stomach

An upset stomach could be a sign of anxiety, of eating spoiled food, of needing to go to the bathroom -- there's many different reasons. Check in with yourself by recalling how the day has gone so far, and when your stomach started to feel upset. What steps can you take now to help relax?

• Try a heating pad, a pillow, or a gentle hand resting over your belly

• Consider taking a brief walk around the office

Congestion

Depending on the time of year, you may experience a snuffy nose from allergies or from feeling sick. Maybe a cough rattles your chest, or a sneeze practically shakes the window panes. What's worse is you may realize you've developed a sinus pressure headache, or your eyes might ache.

• What smells or particles in the air make it more difficult to breathe?
• What sounds do you hear from your body while breathing?

Breaths

Inhales and exhales come in all shapes and sizes. What happens when you change the length of time of your exhales? What difference do you notice when you inhale through your nose versus through your mouth? Why does this matter? -- Because your breath is connected to your nervous system, which impacts your heartrate and your endorphens.

• Deep breathing increases oxygen intake, which ensures optimal brain function
• Deep breathing decreases cortisol and epinephrine levels
• Find a pleasant smell to enjoy
• Use Box Breathing as a strategy for controling your inhales and exhales.