Are you in H.A.L.T?

It’s a question I ask myself on days where I’m feeling out of sorts, but still need to be there for my massage clients. “H.A.L.T” stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired. It’s a concept I first learned about in my years sitting in Al-Anon meetings and discussing how to handle difficult problems. The advice goes like this: before you try to address a “difficult” problem, decide whether or not you’re in H.A.L.T. Because if you are hungry, angry, lonely, and/or tired, dealing with that issue first may either solve your problem or make it much less difficult to face.

For a massage therapist, I think hungry may be the worst culprit. We get to moving very quickly indeed and sometimes forget to eat or even put off eating until we are dizzy or irritable. Hunger can even lead to fatigue, and then you have H and T going for you. Little things can swell up to incredible size when you are HT. So go to the fridge where you are hopefully keeping some good quality yogurt or raw almonds and at least get a little protein until you can eat again.

Angry and lonely are a little harder to deal with. But if you realize anger or loneliness is beginning to color your mood deep red or blue, you can take a few minutes to consider the issue. A few minutes spent meditating in your space or even out on a sidewalk pacing might be good for you. At the very least, sketching a plan on what steps to take LATER after your work is complete might give you enough temporary closure to get on with what you need to do… and THEN you can call a friend, write a rant, and/or deal with H again (preferably with chocolate).