Recognize (Sense): The First Step to Mindful Productivity

Update: A More Refined Perspective on Step 1 – Sense

This article was an earlier version of the first step in the STOP Mindful Productivity Framework. Since then, my understanding of feelings, affect, and interoception has evolved, aligning more closely with the Theory of Constructed Emotion.

For the most updated and scientifically accurate explanation of Step 1 please visit the latest version here:

Read article Here

The first step in the Mindful Productivity Framework is to recognize our feelings – a practice of sensing emotions without judgment.

We are creatures driven by feelings. And feelings exist to help us make good decisions.

Mindful Productivity Framework. The first step is "Sensing" our emotions. — *Recognize/Sense: First step in the Mindful Productivity Framework*

You’ve likely heard the cliché: thoughts manifest actions. But the truth is, it’s our feelings that manifest actions. Thoughts are just ideas and information – unless they spark an emotion. If a thought generates intense fear, for instance, you run. If a thought brings excitement and purpose, you become an entrepreneur!

Here’s the catch though: you can’t control your thoughts. Thoughts emerge as part of the brain’s primary function of interpreting and responding to the environment.

Thoughts, in turn, generate emotions.

You also can’t control the emotions that arise. They emerge unbidden, often cycling automatically with thoughts and actions. This is why we often feel trapped in a loop of thought, emotion, and action.

Sounds helpless? It can be, if emotions take the driver’s seat and your thoughts act as an instructor.

This is where recognition comes in; a process of actively sensing emotions as they arise.

Recognition is self-observation, and self-observation is fundamentally different from self-absorption.

Self-absorption is preoccupation with yourself – overthinking and worrying.
Self-observation is watching your internal experiences as though they’re happening to someone else. It creates space between you and what you’re sensing, enabling unbiased decision making.

Here’s a simple comparison:

Self-Absorption

“I’m anxious and angry.”

Highly personalized, often leading to impulsive actions like “This meeting is a waste of time. Damn it!”

Acknowledgment

“I’m feeling anxious and angry.”

Less personalized, allowing reason to enter: “I don’t feel like attending this meeting, but let’s see how it goes.”

Self-Observation

“There is anxiousness. There is anger.”

Detached recognition, giving the Wise Mind room to guide you: “Okay, I need to prepare for this meeting to contribute effectively” or “I must politely decline because my time is better spent elsewhere.”

“Clouds come and go: some of them are black and some white, some of them are large, others small. If we want to follow the analogy, you would be the sky, observing the clouds [emotions].” – Anthony De Mello

Recognition helps you observe emotions without judgment. It’s the first step to understanding yourself. Without understanding, there’s no way to fix your productivity, or your life.

The following exercise helps you recognize your present emotional state.

In any moment, a range of emotions exists within you – some you’re barely aware of, others you can’t yet name.

As you practice, you’ll start to sense emotions more clearly – confusion, frustration, joy, or calm. With time, you’ll distinguish the subtle colors of your emotional prism.

“How do you feel when someone is mean? Timid? Bold? Or in-between?” – From the children’s book How are you peeling? Foods with Moods.

Children's book on emotions. How are you peeling? on nikhilkabadi.com

A Practical Exercise To Recognize Or Sense Emotions

This exercise takes 5 to 10 minutes. With practice, you’ll only need about 2 minutes.

You can do this activity anywhere; while standing, sitting, walking, or lying down.

Begin by observing your natural breathing rhythm. Don’t try to change it.
Ensure you’re breathing through your nose, not your mouth.
Gradually focus on each inhale and exhale.
Narrow your attention to the sensation of air at the tip of your nose as you breathe.
If it helps, gently place a finger on the tip of your nose to feel the sensation, then remove your finger and continue observing.
Slowly begin to extend the duration of each inhale and exhale. Breathe longer and slower instead of shallow and more.
Notice any rigidity in your body (like clenched fists or tight jaws). Use this moment to relax.
Once relaxed and connected to your breath, allow yourself to sense the emotions that surface.
As feelings emerge, simply note them. Say to yourself: “There is [feeling].” For example: “There is frustration.”
Continue observing your breath, and allow space for multiple emotions to surface.
Each time you sense a feeling, repeat: “There is [feeling].”
Once you’ve recognized your predominant feelings, return to your task.

This simple act of observing your emotions without judgment helps break the automatic cycle of thought-emotion-action.

By practicing recognition, that is, actively sensing and creating distance between yourself and your emotions, you reclaim the driver’s seat in your life. Your emotions and thoughts become passengers – no longer dictating the journey but accompanying you as you navigate with clarity of your emotions.