On the other hand, those with poor interoceptive awareness struggle to recognize what’s going on in their body, either because they can’t feel it or because they completely misunderstand it.
As a result, these people are often unaware when their body is entering a new emotional state, or they think they are feeling something completely different, making it impossible for them to regulate their emotions and feel in control.
Can interoception be improved?
Interoceptive training is possible; in fact, research is being done to find out if interoceptive courses could help people with mental health and other emotional problems.
But you don’t need a therapist to get started with interoceptive training. According to Longsdale, the best place to start is simply to practice a little self-awareness.
“I recommend trying the free My Possible Self mental health app, which has a holistic range of tools and resources to facilitate better interception,” she says. “Your mood tracker will help you identify things that influence her mood, but also clearly categorize these things so they’re not misunderstood.”