so, what does ‘listen to your body’ mean anyway?!

What does “listen to my body” even mean?! 😅

How often do we hear “listen to your body” in the wellness space, and how often are you quite literally like…

What does that mean?

When I work with clients, listening to your body means a number of different things. We are so incredibly disconnected from our bodies — this is such an important part of a wellness journey. Afterall, building awareness is the first step in creating health.

Let’s explore the five ways I utilize the phrase ‘listen to your body’ with clients.

Paying attention to how your body and brain feel after a certain meal or snack.

This one is huge! It is incredible how much we can learn about ourselves and our wellness, simply by tuning in to our bodies and our minds, after we’ve eaten. Gathering this information can give us intel on what foods help us feel energized, feel satiated, feel good, versus foods that make us feel lethargic, feel anxious, irritable, and more. For a week, I challenge you to jot down your observations as you move throughout the week, tuning into how your body and brain respond to the meals and snacks you’re choosing. This can help guide you in feeling better.

Tuning into your thoughts and observing how they impact your stress response in mind and body.

Thoughts are powerful forces! However, thoughts are automatic and many of them, we don’t realize we’re having. Did you know that 90% of our thoughts are repetitive, and 80% of those thoughts, are negative?! This is such an important piece to the wellness puzzle, as our thoughts and beliefs have a direct influence on our nervous system. Having stressful, anxious, negative thoughts can trigger our nervous system — leaving us in a chronically activated state of stress. Start to observe your thoughts, without judgment, and identify what your thoughts are saying to you. You’d be surprised how much you can uncover by adopting this practice. From there, you can respond differently to those thoughts and as a result, create a different outcome.

Deciding how you choose to move your body on any given day, depending on how you’re feeling.

This one is a big one for my personal exercise journey! One thing is for sure: we should all prioritize diversifying the type of movement we are integrating day to day, week to week. This is especially true when waking up on certain days, your body is sore, or you’re feeling wiped out from a busy week, sometimes, your rest is more important than your level of activity. Being okay with this, is essential on your wellness journey. This is what will lead to sustainability, progress, and a true lifestyle change. I challenge you to listen to your body, in this way, too — leaning into rest when your body needs rest, leaning into higher intensity movement when you’re feeling motivated, feeling energized, truly cultivating the practice of respecting what your body needs from day to day and being patient with yourself throughout it all.

Identifying certain symptoms you’re experiencing in any regard instead of dismissing them as normal.

Symptoms are messages! It is your body’s way of communicating with you. The second you’re able to identify symptoms, is the second you’re on the road towards better health. Remember: just because something is common, does not make it normal. With that said, be willing to reflect on what symptoms you may be experiencing over the course of the day: indigestion, fatigue, low energy, difficulty concentrating, irritability, anxiety, lethargy, difficulty sleeping, headaches, migraines, and so on — and use these symptoms, this information, to take your next steps on your wellness journey.

Examining how certain habits, relationships, environments, throughout your day impact your energy levels, your focus, your mood, and so on.

How do certain relationships make you feel? How about your workplace? What about your habit of waking up and immediately scrolling the news, social media, your emails, and so on? Listen to how your brain and body respond to these scenarios can uncover a lot about what you’re doing to either fuel or drain your day. Your daily actions determine how you feel from day to day — start to decide which ones support, and which ones inhibit, your wellness.

Listening to your body can take on a number of meanings but at the end of the day, it is one of your most valuable assets to your wellness journey. Start to cultivate this practice in your daily routine and watch your quality of life transform.

If you need support in addressing these practices or generating more awareness around each of the above examples, schedule a free consult below to discuss how holistic health coaching could be right for you!