Achieving Homeostasis

I’m not sure if this will be a relatable experience or not but I’ll write it as a question anyway: Do you ever feel like something’s just off? Like you’re uncomfortable or irritated or tired and don’t know why or how to fix it? Well, if this has happened to you, my advice is to first make sure you’ve achieved homeostasis before looking towards any other possible reasons and solutions.

What is Homeostasis?

Homeostasis is a state of equilibrium and stability, both psychologically and physiologically.

Identify what’s off

Ask yourself questions to hone in on the issue at hand. Some examples include:

• Am I hungry?
• Am I following my daily routine?
• Am I tired?
• Am I holding emotions in or suppressing them?
• Am I hyped up or unsure of where to place my energy?
• Am I breathing irregularly?

Identify the solution

Using the examples above, here are some possible resolutions, respectively:

Think about what’s available for you to eat, and figure out how much you need to eat to stop feeling hungry.

See what parts of your routine were dropped from your day, and see where you can get back on track.

Do you need a nap, or do you need motivation to get up and move your body?

Journal or express your emotions healthily in another way. This is not a waste of time since the alternative option is already hindering your productivity by having the thought loiter in the forefront of your mind.

Exercise, get outside and take a walk, play a sport, etc.

Focus on your breathing. For example, you can inhale for 4 counts, hold your breath for 4 counts and exhale for 6 counts. Do this, or another technique (like the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding activity) until you feel your heart rate has slowed down.

Trust yourself

I think the hardest part of all of this is actually getting up and doing the work required for homeostasis to be achieved. To muster this motivation you must remind yourself that whatever small act it is, it must happen right now, it will improve your day, and you will thank yourself for doing it afterward.

This article is meant to tackle those ruts we get in. For me, they usually take form in me slumping onto my bed in the middle of the afternoon with no motivation to do anything. I feel “tired” even if I’ve barely exerted any energy that day at all. Even if I’m hungry, I tend to lay there for a long while before fixing this problem. There is no benefit to this at all, I’m just sitting in my own misery for longer all because I don’t feel like I have enough motivation to reach homeostasis. But we all do. We all want comfort in our lives and in our bodies. Trust your mind, and you will get there. I hope that some of this article resonates with you and helps you improve the comfort level you feel on a daily basis.

Have you ever felt “off” before for no reason? Has it been happening to you recently and/or frequently? What do you do when you find yourself unmotivated and in a slump?