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Pre-Therapy Part 3: Interoception

Welcome to mini-steps and concepts that can be explored alone and in groups before entering into 1:1 therapy or coaching. 


I’m learning this interoception in my own life as I learn to watch for it in my clients. How well we are aware of what is going on in our bodies, including what and where our emotions are showing up, can be a practice. What is it like for us to stay present, connected, and at ease internally as we identify and feel a combination of emotions and physical sensations? 


Interoception is a newish term in the coaching and therapy world that needs some unpacking…and lots of intentionality to learn the skill. It doesn’t seem like it would make that much of a difference but studies have shown that it actually impacts how resilient and mentally well we are and are becoming. It is about being unified as your whole self. It’s about fully experiencing feelings, and being aware of what you are experiencing. 


Here’s the sciency definition from the American Psychology Association: Interoception is the ability to be aware of internal sensations in the body, including heart rate, respiration, hunger, fullness, temperature, pain, and emotional sensations. It is a sense that is critical to the way we understand how we feel on a moment-to-moment basis. Having low interoception seems to put people at risk for a multitude of mental health conditions.


The good news is…

It’s a fairly easy skill set to learn, practice, and excel at with a huge reward. And it doesn’t require a therapist or coach. Yet, you will need to be intentional about naming what you feel and observing what else shows up in the naming. 


Here are some ways to build interoception:

  • Psychoeducation, learning about it (like you are right now)

  • Interactive writing prompts- journaling about your feelings and sensations

  • Body scan meditations

  • Thinking of the body in terms of function and a container for emotions, rather than appearance

  • Being mindful of emotions as they show up and naming them

  • Being mindful of noticing where the associated physiological sensations show up with certain emotions

  • Experimenting with intuitive eating by noticing hunger and fullness sensations and slowing down to act accordingly

  • Moving the body according to what feels good in the body and emotions, aka dancing, but from the inside out (if that makes sense 🙂)

  • Doing art and creative expression as an intuitive process rather than focusing on the finished product.

  • Play and be aware of internal shifts as you enter into playfulness 


Do any of these sound more fun and do-able than others? What about finding a friend or 6 friends and try skill building together over a coffee. 


Once your interoception is strengthened, entering into a therapeutic conversation happens with more ease and depth. The other huge benefit is that you feel more tuned into yourself, aware, unified, with a sense of sovereignty over your inner world. 


Enjoy these activities and let me know how it’s going! 


Peace and Love,

Armandee


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