What happens when you HALT?

A simple way to check in with yourself.

I learned something a few years ago that’s helped me help family, friends and clients make sense of situations that seem to make none.

Especially since I’ve had kids!

The acronym is HALT. It stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired.

This works because it’s so simple and truly epitomizes so much the human experience.

Often in life, we find ourselves in situations where things simply aren’t going right.

It may feel like your world is falling apart.

We’ve all been there.

Maybe you had a heated argument with your boss at work. And now you think that your job is oppressive and you want to leave.

Or perhaps you’ve been feeling claustrophobic in your relationship with your spouse. And now you’re seriously considering a divorce.

In reality, however, we tend to view life through a narrow lens.

We like to think of ourselves as rational, logical beings.

The truth is that everybody floats in a cloud of emotion…logically justified after the fact.

Yet we fail to see it, or we choose to ignore it…

Many situations in life appear difficult, unbearable or hopeless even. But often they can be traced back to the fact we feel:

Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

How many times have you unconsciously (or consciously!) reacted and snapped at someone after a rough night’s sleep?

Maybe you’re more irritated around your family after a long day at work because you’re tired.

And you can probably relate to that "hangry" feeling you get on a restrictive diet with incessant hunger pangs that make you on edge 24/7.

So whenever you’re going through a difficult time, try to have the presence of mind to take a step back.

Then think to yourself:

"Am I feeling hungry, angry, lonely, or tired right now?"

There’s a good chance this situation is a result of one of those feelings.

And once it’s taken care of, i.e you get more sleep, eat something, chill out, or find some company, you’ll feel much better.

Clearly, there may be times where you don’t feel any of these feelings and it’s simply a shitty situation.

That’s life.

However, I believe more often than not, you’ll find one of these feelings is involved.

And who knows...you may find that suddenly things start to make sense!

So remember...

Use HALT to help you make sense of your life when things get challenging.

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Reflect on a recent difficult or challenging situation in your life and consider whether you were hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.

If so, how did it impact the situation and how can you prevent a repeat of the same scenario in future?

To your best health,

Dr Kpakpo

P.S. I’m taking on 3 more busy professional or entrepreneurs this month for 1-on-1 coaching to:

• Increase energy

• Increase healthspan

• Improve & optimise health

With straightforward planning & advice.

If you’re interested, reply to this email, or DM me on Twitter here.