11-25-2025 4:40pm

Checking In With Yourself: Why It Matters When Life Feels Heavy

Ypsilanti PressLLC Editor

Checking In With Yourself: Why It Matters When Life Feels Heavy

In the rush of work, obligations, and expectations, it’s easy to go days—or weeks—without truly checking in with yourself. You keep moving, keep producing, keep showing up. Yet under the surface, life may feel overwhelmingly heavy. The uncertainty creeps in. The doubt whispers. The fear sits quietly behind your ribs.And if you’re someone who often feels overlooked at work, or like your efforts blend into the background, the weight can feel even harder to carry. You’re doing so much, holding so much, and yet it sometimes feels like no one really sees you.This is why checking in with yourself isn’t optional.
It is essential.
It is an act of grounding.
It is an act of claiming your humanity.
It is an act of reminding yourself: I matter, even if the world around me hasn’t said it aloud.Why

Checking In With Yourself Is So Important

When life becomes overwhelming, your mind tends to go into survival mode. You push down your needs so you can meet demands. You suppress emotions so you can function. You keep going because stopping feels scary.But here’s the truth:
You can’t pour from an empty self.
You can’t keep pushing without pausing.
You can’t navigate uncertainty without moments of clarity.Checking in with yourself is like turning on a small light in a dark room. The situation may not change instantly, but suddenly, you can see where you are. You can breathe. You can think. You can feel. And that alone can shift everything.

Five Things You Can Do Today to Help With Uncertainty, Doubt, and FearThese are small, doable actions you can take—even if you're at work, even if you're having a tough day, even if you feel unnoticed.1. Ask Yourself One Simple Question: “What am I feeling right now?”Not what should I feel or what do others need me to feel.
Just… What am I feeling?You don’t need to fix it.
You don’t need to explain it.
Just naming it—“I feel anxious,” “I feel overwhelmed,” “I feel invisible”—can reduce the emotional pressure.This is your first step toward reclaiming your inner space.2. Take a 90-second breathing break

You don’t need a quiet room or special instructions.
You just need 90 seconds.Here’s a simple way:

Inhale slowly for 4 seconds
Hold for 2
Exhale for 6
Repeat 5 times

This shifts your body out of stress mode and into regulation. No one else even needs to know you’re doing it.3. Write down one thing you accomplished today (even if no one noticed)It doesn’t have to be grand.
Maybe you finished a task, supported a colleague, kept your composure, or simply got out of bed this morning.Write it down. Acknowledge it.When others overlook you, self-recognition becomes a powerful form of resilience.4. Set a small boundary that protects your energyIt can be tiny:

Not checking emails during lunch
Saying “I’ll get to that in a moment” instead of dropping everything
Stepping outside for a 3-minute break
Speaking more gently to yourself

Small boundaries create a sense of stability when everything else feels shaky.5. Reach out to someone who makes you feel groundedSend a quick message:
“Thinking of you.”
“Hope your day’s going okay.”
“Just wanted to say hi.”Connection—even a small one—reminds your nervous system that you’re not alone. It also interrupts spirals of fear or self-doubt.To the Person Who Feels Overlooked at WorkYou deserve to be seen. You deserve to be valued.
But even when others fail to acknowledge your worth, your worth remains intact.You are still a whole person with depth, courage, and inner strength.
You don’t need external validation to prove that.But you do deserve moments of care.
You deserve to check in with yourself.
You deserve to pause and breathe.
You deserve to rest your shoulders and unclench your jaw.Your feelings matter.
Your voice matters.
You matter.