The Emotion-Body Connection Exercise

Self Awareness is all about getting connected to YOU. The more you are in tune with your thoughts and feelings, the more you can understand what is happening within and the better you can show up to support yourself.

This exercise will help you to identify and manage your feelings by noticing what’s happening in your body.

Step 1: What am I feeling right now?

Don’t take too much time searching for the perfect description, just name the first feeling that you notice.

HINT: Even though there are dozens of different emotions, they all emerge from basic core emotions that can be categorized into 4 main buckets:

HAPPY       SAD       ANGRY       AFRAID

Use these four buckets as a starting point to more quickly identify the emotion you’re experiencing.

Step 2: Where is it happening in my body?

Often you will feel your emotions in your body BEFORE you recognize them as an emotion.

Put your hand on the part of your body where you “feel” the sensation. It may show up in your chest, your stomach, your head, tensed muscles in your limbs, or even as heat on your face.

Just pick the first place you notice in your body and put your hand there.

Step 3: What is the intensity on a scale from 1 to 10? (10 being the most intense)

By simply rating the intensity of your emotion, you are practicing Self Awareness and making room for intentional decision-making.

After completing these three steps you will have
  • Become an observer of your own feelings
  • Gained valuable data about yourself
  • Built a connection between body and brain
  • Invited your “higher brain” to help you figure out this situation (Learn more about “higher” vs “lower” brain in the Meet your Brain eBook.)
  • Given yourself the opportunity to choose your next step

Curious about what to do next? Other important questions to ask yourself are:

What triggered me?
What thoughts am I having?
How are my actions helping or hurting me?
How do I want to think, feel and act?

This brief but powerful exercise is just the beginning — check out The Resiliency System where we go even further into your journey towards greater Self Awareness. Together we’ll take the next steps into a world where you feel more confident in handling any emotion that comes your way.


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