You visit the doctor for your annual check-up. You pay attention to your car's condition and get the brake pads and oil changed when needed. You even know to get a new phone if it starts having issues. But how often do you check in with yourself to see how you're doing mentally and emotionally?

I know, I know. For some people, myself included, the minute anyone mentions talking about your feelings, their reaction is basically:

However, your mental and emotional health are just as important as your physical health. Between projects, social pressures, and the overall business of life, though, it's easy to forget to monitor how you're doing.

I realized this happened to me last Friday night. As I was laying in bed, I wondered how long it had been since I last did a self-check-in . After a few minutes of reflection, I realized that there were some personal issues I had pushed aside and hadn't dealt with in a while. I didn't realize how much they had been affecting me until I allowed myself time to sort them out.

I've learned that neglecting your emotional and mental health results in negative consequences. In milder cases, one could word-vomit everything that's been on their mind to someone, even a complete stranger, if they haven't checked in with themselves. In more extreme cases, unresolved anger or pain could lead to violence and other consequences.

Take a few minutes to evaluate your life right now. Are you happy? Has anything been bothering you recently? Are there any issues you need to talk to someone about that you haven't had the chance to yet? Is there anything you need to start or stop doing to improve yourself?

By doing a self-check-in, you'll know, or at least get a sense of, what you need to do to keep your emotions and thoughts straight. Granted, they're not always easy to handle. Thinking, let alone talking, about your how you're feeling can be terrifying. Just like the papers we put off in college or the chores we'd rather not deal with at home, we can neglect our emotional and mental health since our thoughts and feelings can be stressful and overwhelming. But they're necessary to deal with. Bottling up and avoiding them isn't healthy and could cause you and others more harm further down the road.

To help sort yourself out, you can keep a journal or find someone you trust to talk to. Also, look up unhealthy thinking habits and how to change them if you need to. You can't properly sort yourself out if you're not thinking clearly.

Your thoughts and emotions matter, and you need to take some time for yourself every now and then to make sure you're OK. Find healthy ways to express yourself so you don't carry unnecessary weight.