HALT

Self care and self awareness go hand in hand. By taking care of ourselves and recognising some of the reasons behind our urges and behaviours we can overcome so many obstacles.
Today's episode is all about using the acronym H.A.L.T to help us remember that there may be other things going on with us.

Transcript

Richard: 0:00

Hello. Hope you are well today. Whether you are out on a walk doing the washing up or just taking five minutes for yourself, thank you for spending a bit of time with me today. Now I want to talk to you about something that seems quite simple, but honestly it can be really powerful, and it's called the Halt method. If you haven't heard of this before, HALT stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. And it's one of those little tools that's easy to overlook'cause of how straightforward it is. As is so often the case with self-awareness, the simplest ideas can be the most effective, really. So halt. HALT. Hungry, angry, lonely, tired. Four states that make us feel a bit off balance, a bit outta sorts, and if we are not aware of them, they can lead us into situations or behaviours that don't really serve us. So first up, hungry. And I do mean literally hungry. Might sound a bit obvious, but when our blood sugar drops, it affects our mood. That's where we get the hangry feeling from, that is a real thing. We get snappy, irritable, even anxious. So if you find yourself getting wound up over something minor, it is worth asking when did I last eat something? But also, it's not just about food. There is an emotional hunger to us too. A craving maybe for something else, for affection, for recognition, for feeling seen and understood. If that's not being met, that can gnaw away at us as well. So it is worth checking in, not just with your stomach, but also with your heart. And then we've got angry. Now, anger's a tricky one, isn't it? A lot of people are uncomfortable with it. We're often taught to suppress it or ignore it, but it's just like any other emotion, like sadness or joy. It is telling us something. So if you feel angry, ask yourself what's going on underneath. Are you feeling hurt? Frustrated? Is something feeling unfair? Because anger doesn't exist on its own, it's a messenger. And if we ignore it, it tends to shout louder. So if we listen to it, I mean really listen, it can point us towards something that might need addressing. Next up, lonely. This one catches a lot of people off guard.'cause you don't have to be alone to feel lonely. You can be surrounded by people and still feel completely disconnected. We are social creatures. We need connection. And I don't just mean a quick scroll through social media. I mean real meaningful connection. Someone who asks you how you are and actually listens to the answer. Someone that you can share a silly joke with or talk about what's bothering you with. So if you're feeling a bit flat, a bit empty, ask yourself When was the last time I properly connected with somebody? A phone call, a chat with a friend, even just a text message that says, I was thinking of you today. It can make a big difference. And then finally, tired. We underestimate this one, we really do. We tend to push through our energy dips. We drink more coffee. We have an energy drink. We tell ourselves we've got too much to do to rest. I'll sleep when I'm dead! But being tired, it doesn't just mean you need sleep, it might mean you're emotionally or mentally worn out as well. So when we are tired, everything feels harder. We are more reactive, we are less resilient, and it's really easy to slip into unhelpful patterns. So if you're feeling overwhelmed, check in. Have you been burning the candle at both ends? Do you need to rest, not just physically, but also emotionally? The beauty of the HALT idea is that it encourages us to pause, and it's that pause that gives us that tiny moment of awareness, gives us the power to respond rather than react, to look after ourselves rather than punish ourselves for not feeling okay. So if something's not right today. Have a little check in and ask, am I hungry, angry, lonely, tired. And if the answer is Yes to any of them, then ask What can I do to take care of that need first before looking at anything else? Even if it's not right now,'cause this isn't always about fixing things instantly. Sometimes you can't. You might be at work and you realise you're lonely, but just acknowledging it takes the sting out, it puts you back in the driver's seat. So maybe give it a go today if something feels a bit off. Halt, take a breath. Ask yourself those four questions, you might be surprised at how often it's one of those things that's hiding underneath the surface. Now this takes a bit of practice, but it gives you awareness and that's what makes a really big difference to our mental health. Alright, you lovely people. There is more about this on my Patreon page where I go into it in a bit more detail. Go and have a listen. Patreon.com. Look me up. And I'll be off for today. Thank you very much for listening. If the episode resonated with you, feel free to share it with somebody who might benefit, and as always, be kind to yourself. Take care and I'll speak to you again very soon.