I’ve gotten considerably better at listening to my body.
It only took me about 72 years. 😂
For a long time, I wasn’t very good at it.
Hungry?
Eat.
Tired?
More coffee.
Stiff?
Ignore it.
Something hurt?
Work around it until it hurt enough that ignoring it was no longer an option.
At 55, I had become pretty good at overriding almost everything my body was telling me.
Then my health fell apart.
I Started Paying Attention
Not perfectly.
And certainly not all at once.
But over time I started noticing things.
What happens when I eat this?
How do I feel after I move?
What happens if I don’t move?
Am I actually hungry right now?
Did I sleep enough for me?
Why does this particular movement feel good while another one I’ve been told I “should” do doesn’t?
Those questions became more useful than somebody else’s rules.
Your Body Gives You Information All Day
Hunger is information.
So is stiffness.
Energy.
Fatigue.
Pain.
Strength.
Balance.
Mood.
Sleep.
None of those signals automatically tells you exactly what’s happening. Bodies are considerably more complicated than that.
But they’re worth noticing.
That’s one of the things Peggy and I have learned from nearly two decades of working with our own bodies and thousands of others.
Pay attention before you assume.
Sometimes you’re hungry because you’re hungry.
Sometimes you’re tired because you need sleep.
Sometimes a stiff hip feels considerably better after five minutes of movement.
And sometimes pain is telling you something needs more attention than that.
The trick isn’t having all the answers.
It’s noticing the question.
Try It Today
Once or twice today, stop before automatically responding to whatever you’re feeling.
Ask:
What is my body actually telling me right now?
You may not know.
That’s okay.
Get curious.
Try something.
See what happens.
Your body has been talking to you your whole life.
Maybe it’s worth joining the conversation.
👍.... I hear you! Thank You!