You might have forgotten to listen to your body because for the longest time you’ve been dealing with work and family responsibilities or resorting to temporary strategies to be able to shift your attention away from reality, such as drinking alcohol, taking too much caffeine, shopping excessively, or traveling a lot to shift your focus.
But you need more than these artificial strategies. The most important thing you can do for yourself is listen to your breath and respond to what it’s saying.
How to effectively listen and respond to your body? Pause and ask yourself: What do you want, need, and aim for right now? Knowing your goals, purpose, and vision can motivate you to start listening to your body. Here are a few messages from the body you need to listen to:
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Body discomfort from existing health issues
Dizziness, a high heart rate, palpitations, shallow breathing, and painful joints can mean stress or a health condition requiring special medical attention to avoid aggravation. There’s no reason to delay this: Schedule a checkup so a medical professional can assess and address the existing issues.
Feelings of sluggishness
Weakness and a lack of motivation to do things can mean your body craves movement. Start by making moving (doing housework or walking more during the day) a habit. Then, increase the duration and intensity and add variety once you are consistent with the habit. Consider getting a fitness coach to give you a solid fitness foundation. Don’t wait for old age to experience the debilitating effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
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A slouched posture and slower-than-usual movements
How you stand, sit, and walk can mean that your body is already exhausted, and you might need to rest: a short nap, a massage, or a good quality eight-hour sleep to recover and refresh your mind and body.
Inability to push more resulting from exercise burnout
Being unable to exert more effort (slower runs or unable to maintain or progress current resistance load during strength sessions) during your usual workouts can mean that you are overexercised and seriously stressed out.
Your body craves rest, a routine change, and a modified exercise training intensity. You can also notice irregular menstrual periods as a result of stress. It’s time to prioritize recovery and optimal nutrition instead of movement.
Getting too mentally, emotionally, and physically stressed out resulting from strict rules set upon yourself
Adhering to perfection in all aspects of life can harm your overall well-being, which can lead to eating disorders and other mental health issues in the long run. Your focus should be balancing your life by learning to embrace moderation and a flexible mindset. Avoid tools and gadgets that trigger extra stress for now—social media, weighing scales, calorie counter apps, and even fitness trackers.
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Constant cravings during the day
A craving can be mistaken for hunger as a result of exposure to food, unhealthy habits (like buying cake with your coffee), emotional issues, hormonal fluctuations (PMS), the result of blood sugar spikes and dips after consuming a high-carb meal snack, or social influence.
Eat healthy food when you are hungry and when your body feels it’s time to eat (after an exercise or four to six hours after your previous meal) for muscle recovery and overall body nourishment. Practice mindful eating to have a positive eating experience, enjoying and appreciating every nourishing bite of your healthy foods.
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Lack of motivation to start a healthy journey resulting from social comparison
Feelings of insecurities and worthlessness, believing that you are not good enough, and becoming hopeless to strive more can result from the unrealistic perfection portrayed by social media. You need to realize these feelings and how they affect your daily life. Stay away from social media exposure and focus on enriching yourself first, recognizing your strengths, and thinking of ways to conquer your fears and weaknesses.
You can’t function during the day without having a cup (or more) of strong coffee
You rely on artificial energy boosters because there’s so much to do, so many people to care for, and so many deadlines to accomplish. You sleep and wake up late. You don’t feel well. You already forgot that refreshed and relaxed feeling upon waking up. You can have disorganized thoughts, unfavorable relationships with people around you, and poor health.
If you recognize these things, it’s time to take a break, simplify your life, learn to say no, delegate work, communicate well with your loved ones, and take a break from work to check other life options.
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