Listen to Your Body

Our body is our ally.  It knows what we need, what's good for us and what's not.  It has all the answers inside.  Sometimes we may know something is not right or that we don't feel well.  It may be just a vague feeling or thought; this is our body trying to tell us something important.

In treating people, I've come to feel how our bodies try to speak to us.  Pain is a signal from our body that something is not right, be it physical or emotional.  For example, a headache may signal to us to slow down and stop doing the bank account balance; that we are stressing ourselves out.  We need to take a break, get our mind off of it.  But what do we tend to do?  Tell our bodies to shut up by taking a pill and continuing what we are doing.  We don't listen.  And at some point it will shout at us with something more severe.

We may end up catching a cold.  The body is saying "you really need to rest."  You may be doing too much or stessing about something.  It is saying "it's about time you listen."  Instead, our typical response is to brush it off, take some medicine and continue our frenetic pace.  What we really need to do is slow down and take a day off at the first sign of an itchy throat or congested head.  Most people feel they have to almost be on their death bed to feel justified to call in sick.  But if we took that day off at the first signs, (1) we wouldn't get others sick since that's when we are contagious and (2) we would get better much faster.  By staying in bed and resting right away, either reading, sleeping, or reassessing what's going on in our life that might be running us down, we tell our bodies we are listening and that we are important enough to take care of ourselves.

Do you wake up every morning feeling tired and your back is hurting?  Is it your mattress or pillow?  Do you lie in bed at night reading or watching TV with your neck at an awkward angle?  Or is it just during the week and not on the weekends?  Are you tired of your job, not looking forward to it when you wake up?

The body gives us a lot of signals about what we need to be healthy and happy.

Today's action

Pay attention to how you are feeling throughout the day.  Ask your body "what's going on?"  It will speak back, believe me.  It is waiting for you to pay attention.  The more we listen and respond to what it's saying, the more it will guide us to take care of ourselves.