How to REALLY listen to your body
In a society that glorifies being busy and crossing everything off of our “to-do” lists, we often ignore the infinite messages that our bodies are constantly sending us. And we often don’t hear the messages until something is really wrong. When we get signals that we are emotionally exhausted, anxious, upset or experiencing stress, our body responds and often gives us signals that we can’t ignore. This can manifest into pain, illness, brain fog, and so much more.
It is widely known that our bodies respond to the way we think, feel, and act. Good news? There are things we can do to listen to our bodies and direct our minds to deliver a different or more even outcome. The best way is to pause and take a break. Take a mini time-out. We tend to “go-go-go” and unfortunately because of our busy lives, we often miss or ignore the signals that our brain and body are giving us to slow down. By pausing, we can ground ourselves and learn ways to respond instead of react out of emotion. While you are taking a break, choose one of the below 2-minute exercises to check in with yourself.
- Do a Breathing Exercise. Click here to do this one with me!
- Perform a Body Scan. This will help you tune into how you are feeling. Close your eyes and go through each part of your body to find where you are holding stress and emotion. Relax that area for 1 minute.
- Evaluate the basics. Ask yourself how you slept, when you last ate, and how your water intake has been. By taking care of the basic needs, you may find a simple solution.
- Practice self-compassion. Remind yourself that there is a lot going on right now. Remind yourself that it is not easy, but also not impossible. Name 3 things you’re proud of that you’ve accomplished.
By taking this moment to check-in with yourself, you will be able to identify what is going on and will give you insight into what to do next.
