How to listen to your body properly?

Before you even start, take a few minutes to ask yourself these questions:

Are you listening to your body and the signals it sends you? Be honest.

Are you able to notice its signals?

And are you in harmony or in constant combat with them?

Perhaps these questions are difficult for you to answer or, on the contrary, the answers came to you directly. In general, the majority of people will respond that they are more or less in tune with their body and, very often, they are not in harmony with the signals received.

I'll give you some examples and see if you can recognize yourself there:

• You are exhausted, but you are still doing your scheduled training because you “had to”.
• You are not eating until your fully satiated.
• You continue to run despite the pain you feel in your knees.
• You cut your sleep hours to work more even if you are already exhausted.

Do you see any similarities between these situations?

Yes, your body tried to send you signals (tiredness, hunger, pain), but you overcame it.

Seriously, it happens to all of us. On the other hand, it is very beneficial, both for physical and mental health, to learn to really listen to these signals and respond to them in the right way.

This cannot be learned overnight, but here are some solutions to get closer to it every day.

Ask the question

Take the reflex to ask yourself: "What does my body and my head need right now?"

Is it aligned with what you were going to do, or on the contrary, it does not serve that purpose?

If it is the second option: let go.

It’s much easier said than done, but again, it’s long term learning.

The moment you learn to really let go of what you had in mind vs. what's going on in the present moment, you will genuinely enrich your life. You will end the fight with yourself and feel more inner peace.

Recognize

Recognize that your body is not your enemy. It sends you these signals for a reason. It's up to you to take the time to decipher the message.

Try to recognize what needs need to be met.

Usually :

If you are tired: you need to rest and/or take it more gently. Take the time to prioritize yourself.

If you are hungry: eat. Connect to your true satiety signals.

If you are in pain: investigate. Stop doing what hurts your body and go see a professional.

Seek help

If you have difficulty recognizing and meeting your needs, if you feel that you are in constant combat with your body and/or your head, consult a professional. A nutritionist, a psychologist, a doctor, etc.

You can't give yourself a better gift.

Practice

As mentioned at the beginning, being really in tune with your body is not done by snapping your fingers.

That’s why it’s important to practice. Like when you learn to ride a bike: you have to do it several times, also fall a few times before you get better and more comfortable.

Same thing: it is by asking yourself more often, by responding to your needs, by trying to let go that it will quietly become more natural for you.

So, for the last time, take the time to do it. It's really worth the effort.