Check your HUD (heads-up display)

or: how to gamify self-awareness

Sometimes, you’re so much in the thick of it that you’re unaware of your state, whether it be emotional, mental, or physical. But those states affect you and those around you 24/7. Getting a heads-up on how you feel and how you are going through your world can be very nice.

The term “heads-up display” is pretty cool, though I never thought about the meaning of the name before writing this, the display is giving you a “heads-up.” Duh!

To explain the function of a heads-up display (HUD) in a game a bit for those not initiated in the world of gaming, let’s look at any modern first-person shooter game—for example, Halo—where it’s helpful to see some stats or notifications of your in-game states. There’s a health bar, shield indicator, ammo indicator, and a bunch more. They show you important information about the state of your in-game character so you can act on the information and play the game better, with more fun and mastery.

Source: halo.fandom.com/wiki/Heads-up_display. Some examples from this image: 1 = health bar, 2 = shield, 3 = ammo, 4 = radar...

Much like a game’s HUD, it’s even more useful to have an in-life one that helps you to be aware of your personal state. So let’s try to imagine one through a fun little exercise!

1. Imagine a heads-up display in your mind that tracks important states for you. (Maybe it works best for you if you close your eyes.) You can use any colors, symbols, and sounds that you feel are applicable. Then be still, take a few deep breaths, and feel your body…

2. What sensations come up? Is there tightness, unease, or pain somewhere? Where does it come from? If you’d imagine a HUD alarm, what would it say? (“Beep beep, find a health pack!”) Are you thirsty? (”Beep beep beep, your hydration bar is low!”) Are you hungry? Sleepy? Sad? Excited? Distracted?

3. No matter what sensations come up, allow them, feel them, and take note especially of the ones you’d like to check more often. Then put an extra alert for that sensation on your imagined HUD.

4. Next time you feel overwhelmed, close your eyes, imagine your personal HUD, and see what alarms or notifications pop up that you can act on (or just be aware of and accept).

Let me know what it was like to do this exercise!

Cheers!

Jibran

PS. And just so you remember, it’s never the case that you’re not feeling anything; the question is, are you aware of the sensations?

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Posted on my main website as well if you want to read it there.