The true knowledge from within

Every day we’re in touch with external world through email, messaging apps, or social media. But are we in touch with the internal world?

If you felt tired, uneasy, or uncomfortable in the last 24 hours, there was a reason for that feeling. Sometimes there may be a simple explanation: not enough sleep, too much alcohol, hunger, cold... But sometimes the causes for these feelings are less evident, though no less important.

Emotions are the subconscious mind manifesting something to us that should help us survive or signal danger. If we feel a certain way or we feel a strong emotion, there is a cause.

When unguided, emotions can get us easily into trouble. To name one example, many of the financial institutions and uncouth businesses try to con us into buying things we desire for money we don’t have, to make profit.

We should pay close attention to our body and our mind.

Here’s a list of things I’ve found to influence my behavior in subtle ways:

Weather Cloudy weather with no sun feels tiresome.
Diet Soda creates energy spike that turns into a trough. Too much pastry puts me to sleep.
Slightly cold room Makes me physically uncomfortable, making me mentally uncomfortable, which can lead to more procrastination.
Movement Lack of movement of the body translates into lack of movement of the mind.
Sun Sunlight recharges my body as if it were a battery, giving me energy I can use.
Unresolved unpleasant social interactions They linger in the mind and alter my mood for the worse, if left unnoticed.
General energy level There are rhythms we follow. We all have a certain chronotype — preference for a certain time of day to be productive.
Posture It’s hard to be clear-headed and ready to work after half an hour of slumping in an arm chair.

Noticing how these factors play a role during my day, I can consciously make decisions that help me be at my best. I don’t need a coach or ask Siri or Google for the answer. All I need is a consult the knowledge in my head or my body and ask: Why do I feel the way I do?

Back to the beginning, if you were in a bad mood or felt off in the past 24 hours, what could have been the cause? Was it movement? Was it weather? Or was it something else?