Your body and energy are always giving you information. In this video, I share simple ways to pay attention to the signals you might be overlooking—and how that awareness changes your choices.
Problem isn't that you don't know what you need, it's that you've learned to ignore it. Paying attention isn't about overthinking or analyzing every feeling. It's about slowing down enough to collect information without immediately trying to fix it.
Problem isn't that you don't know what you need, it's that you've learned to ignore it. Hi, I'm Rachel Habakkost. I'm a writer and mental health advocate, and my goal on this app is to share Wisdom from my 20 years in therapy and help you feel less alone. If you feel disconnected from yourself or what you need, it's probably not because you don't know. Most of us think the problem is that we don't know what we need. But more often the problem is that we're not paying attention long enough to notice.
Paying attention isn't about overthinking or analyzing every feeling. It's it's about slowing down enough to collect information without immediately trying to fix it. The first thing to pay attention to is your body. Your body is usually the earliest signal system you have, so ask yourself three questions. 1. When do I feel tense or heavy? 2. When do I feel a little more settled or open? And three what happens to my body when I say yes out of obligation versus yes because I want to? You're not trying to judge these sensations.
You're just trying to notice patterns. The second thing to pay attention to is your energy, not your motivation. So I want you to start noticing these three things. 1. What drains me, even if I'm good at it. 2. What feels neutral or steady instead of exciting. And 3 what gives me energy back instead of just taking it. The third thing to pay attention to is your internal language. Notice how often you hear thoughts in your head like I should or it's not that bad or I can handle it. Those phrases usually mean you're overriding a signal.
Try replacing them with a different question, like if nothing had to change right now, what am I noticing? This removes the pressure to act immediately and makes honesty feel a lot safer. And here's the part that matters most. Paying attention does not require immediate action. You don't need to quit, confront, or overhaul your life the moment you notice something. Attention is data, not a demand. When you practice noticing consistently your body, your energy, your internal cues, clarity begins to form on its own.
Decisions start to feel less forced, boundaries become easier to sense, and your pace becomes more personal. So if you're feeling disconnected from yourself, it's not because you're broken or behind. It's often because you've been moving too fast to listen. I want you to notice one signal today, whether it's checking with your body or your thoughts. And pay attention to one tiny thing and write it down. You got this.
