Saying Hi to Yourself

Nicholas Urbaniak • May 4, 2025

The Gentle Path of Checking In and Noticing How You’re Really Feeling

One Honest Word Away



Naming an emotion can help free yourself from the emotion you are feeling.


Often I find myself rolling like a ball of cheese down a Minnesotian hill — unstoppable, but also kinda cheesy.

You know those hills — not the snowy ones, but the mental ones. The kind where your thoughts gain momentum and your mood subtly slips. It’s hard to notice when you’re rolling, especially when the hill is made of negative emotion. You move from one thing to another, feeling off, without really knowing why.


Sometimes it starts small:


  • Someone cuts you off in traffic
  • You forgot to respond to a text
  • You scroll a little too long and feel hollow afterward


Suddenly, you’re in a fog, disconnected but still moving.

But what if… before the roll begins, you set an intention to check in with yourself? What if you paused and asked, “How am I actually feeling?”


You’d be surprised how powerful it is to simply name the emotion.


The Power of a Pause

When you stop and take a moment to notice how you feel, you give yourself a chance to slow down and look around.


To ask:


  • Where have I been heading lately?
  • Do I still want to go there?


This gentle pause is a moment of clarity — a redirect, not a judgment. Are you walking a path of complaint? Or are you moving moment to moment, letting yourself be present?


A Wake-Up Story

One of my favorite examples: the alarm clock moment.


You know the one. The dreaded beeping, the rush to hit snooze. It’s tempting to shut it down and curl up, but I’ve learned something else is possible.


I started trying a new approach — turning off my alarm gently, breathing for a second, and letting myself just be for a few minutes. In that space, I might stretch. I might mentally map out my morning. I might just feel what’s going on in my body.

That small shift — choosing calm instead of chaos — changed how my whole day unfolded.


If you’re waking up abruptly and rushing into your day, try modifying your routine. Give yourself five extra minutes. Check in. It’s a game changer.


How to Reset in the Middle of the Day

Even in the middle of a hectic afternoon, the same rule applies:


  • Pause
  • Name the emotion
  • Ask if you’d rather feel something else


Don’t force it. Just invite something new in.


You might find that what felt like boredom is actually a need for creativity. That what seemed like sadness is really fatigue. That what looked like anger is unmet expectation.


Naming it doesn’t fix everything. But it opens the door. And sometimes, the way back to yourself is just one honest word away.

Share

By Nicholas Urbaniak June 5, 2025
How Consistency and Courage Team Up to Drive Lasting Self‑Transformation
A lone figure steps toward a golden glow at the end of a stone passageway
By Nicholas Urbaniak June 3, 2025
Struggle isn’t a detour—it’s a compass. This post shows how hardship clarifies priorities, reveals hidden support, and guides us toward deeper purpose, turning even the darkest passages into signposts for growth and authentic direction.
A focused young man sits at a wooden desk writing in a notebook beside an open laptop
By Nicholas Urbaniak May 31, 2025
Overwhelmed by your to-do list? This post explores how simply starting—before you feel ready—can create momentum, ease anxiety, and unlock the natural productivity your mind craves. Discover how action leads to flow and why the first step is often the hardest… but also the most powerful.
A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair sits peacefully in a sunlit field at sunset
By Nicholas Urbaniak May 30, 2025
Stop waiting for life to begin. This post explores how presence—not perfection—transforms each moment into the one that matters most.
A calm professional watches one plate spin while another shatters at his feet.
By Nicholas Urbaniak May 29, 2025
Embrace failure, ditch perfection, and unlock a growth mindset. Learn how strategic surrender turns risks and mistakes into momentum for success.
A man is sitting at a desk with a laptop and a dog behind him.
By Nicholas Urbaniak May 7, 2025
How I learned that stepping away doesn’t mean giving up...again
two women look at each other without judgement
By Nicholas Urbaniak April 23, 2025
Turning Inward to Treat Others Better
By Nicholas Urbaniak April 9, 2025
Embracing Relief One Step at a Time
By Nicholas Urbaniak March 17, 2025
Sometimes shitty things happen. You find out you have a chronic illness, you lose a job, or someone you love passes away. These circumstances come for us all in some way or another throughout our lives. No one is immune to human suffering and disappointment, and everyone has, or will go through a traumatic experience which takes their breath away in the worst of ways. I personally do not have a recipe for success to get through these times or have some magic words I can say to others when they are going through it. There really isn’t anything you can do to help someone who is struggling after receiving terrible news. Maybe you can offer condolences, help with any errands they had on their list, or just sit with them, but in the end, the grief and intense emotion is sometimes so unbearable that nothing except their own processing will allow them to feel any sort of relief. So, for anyone out there who is having a hard time, I’d like to say that I’m sorry. I wish it were different for you, and I hope that you can find peace in whatever is going on and know that hopefully there is a meaning behind it all. You are strong, but it’s still ok to cry. You do what you need to do to get through this. Remember tomorrow isn’t promised so try to enjoy today. Laugh with your spouse, call your mom, and don’t be afraid to tell someone you love them. Bask in the joys of life when they happen and embrace each other when something goes wrong. Step into life with all it has to offer, from the exhilaration of falling in love to the grief of loss, it is why we are here. “9 months was too long to wait, but now we must wait a lifetime”
By Nicholas Urbaniak March 13, 2025
Balance isn’t just about staying upright—it’s about how you move through life. Think about riding a unicycle. At first, you have to focus on every little adjustment to keep from falling, but after a while, it just happens . You’re not thinking about every shift—you just move. The goal is simple: don’t fall. And to do that, you keep adjusting, naturally and automatically, just like breathing. That kind of balance is what keeps you moving forward in life. When you feel balanced, you don’t get thrown off so easily. Stress, setbacks, challenges—none of them hit as hard because you’re always making small, automatic corrections . You don’t freeze up or feel stuck. Instead of overthinking, you just act , keeping yourself in motion toward whatever’s next. Balance also changes how you show up in the world. When you feel steady, you’re more present with others. You’re not as reactive, not as easily pulled into fear or frustration. You listen more, you see more, and you handle things with a clearer mind. It makes you more yourself , not weighed down by stress or uncertainty. And honestly? Balance is what lets you grow . Picture a tightrope walker—every step could throw them off, but they don’t freeze or overanalyze. They move . And because they trust their ability to adjust, they push their limits. First, they walk the rope. Then, they raise it higher. Then, maybe they juggle while doing it. The point is, balance isn’t about standing still—it’s about learning to keep moving no matter where life takes you.  So if you’re looking for stability, don’t aim for some perfect, unshakable place where nothing ever challenges you. That’s not how it works. Balance isn’t about never wobbling—it’s about knowing that when you do, you’ll find your center again. And the sooner you understand that, the sooner you’ll reach that next version of yourself.
More Posts