This post will discuss what symptoms are, why you might be ignoring them, how you can stop, and 6 ways you can start listening to your body.
Stop normalizing your symptoms and start listening to your body!
When I refer to symptoms, I am referring to the messages your body is giving you; a feeling whether emotional, physical, or mental. Symptoms can vary for a lot of people, but there are also a few many people will get and tend to ignore. So what are some symptoms? Well, have you ever been bloated? constipated? diarrhea, a headache, body aches, cramps, fevers, fatigue, nausea, depressed, anxiety? These are to name a few of the ways your body communicates with you through emotional, mental, and physical feelings.
I personally believe that people ignore what their body is telling them because there is this general belief that some of these symptoms are "normal". I once worked with a girl who thought her very bloated stomach was just because she had a hamburger for lunch. Though the burger is high in fat and would make anyone really full, your stomach should not bloat up like a balloon after you eat it and stay bloated all day.
I too have once believed that these symptoms were normal. For over a year I thought my nausea was normal, especially since my doctor said it was nothing to worry about... fast-forward a year and I got diagnosed with gastroparesis, for which one of the most common symptoms to show up is nausea. I too have made excuses of "oh my fatigue may just be because I'm really tired" (even though I had plenty of sleep the nights prior), or "oh I'm a little lightheaded, it may just be because I need to eat and drink" (even though I just got off my lunch break), etc. The constant action of dismissing your body repeatedly will only make you worse and more at risk of having health problems down the road.
Now, I'm not saying that every time someone feels a bit off they need a doctor's appointment or blood work... but I am asking and hoping that you will pay attention to your body more. The reason you need to care about this is for your own health, and perhaps for your family's health too. You have nothing without your health; your health is your wealth. Listen to your body and give it what it needs, whether that is rest, better food, water, mediation, or even a doctor's appointment.
How can you start listening to your body and stop ignoring your symptoms? By tuning in and giving your body what it needs. How can you start? Here are some tips:
Set reminders on your phone. I am a planner (always have been), and so phone reminders, sticky notes, or lists are my go-to's. I set aside time each day for what I want to do and what my body needs. This could be mediation, going for a walk, listening to a podcast, laying on the couch, doing yoga, etc. Whatever I feel like doing to wind down is what I'll do for the day. Something that also helps is to set a reminder on your phone to breathe and/or hydrate. I did this for months; when I checked my phone at work, a reminder would pop up telling me to take a deep breath and practice my breathing for a minute, or to go grab a glass of water. It helps clam your mind and body, while also ensuring you are staying hydrated.
Feed your body good food. There are a lot of cases where you will feel like crap because you are eating crap. If you need help figuring out a healthy diet, please see a nutritionist or talk with your doctor. My body feels best when I am fueling it with the best foods.
Practice mindfulness. I took a semester-long class called "Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction", and it was the most eye-opening class I could have taken. A lot of the class was reading Jon Kabat-Zinn's book "Mindfulness for Beginners". I highly recommend taking a class on mindfulness if you can, or reading a book about mindfulness. This class also taught me how to properly meditate (without judgment), which is a hard thing to learn but is well worth it.
Determine what symptoms you currently have or have had. Each person is different, and we don't all feel the same way every day. Take some time to figure out if you're having any symptoms currently. If the answer is no, have you had any in the past? Don't dismiss anything by saying "oh my stomach only hurt a little bit" or "the headache and nausea was only in the morning, I'll be okay", etc. Doing this does not help you, it only gets you in the habit of ignoring your body's feelings.
Figure out what works best for you. Should you keep a log of how you feel each day? Should you do cardio instead of yoga to burn extra energy? Or yoga instead of cardio to relax yourself? Will you set reminders on your phone, or designate an hour each day to yourself? Whatever you do to get in tune with your body, make sure it works for you, and start creating a habit out of it.
Find ways to ground yourself. There are a lot of different grounding techniques. I suggest researching some and finding what works best for you. This can be a whole blog post on its own, but so some research now and it will help you to tune in to your body.
Another source you may want to read is this article on Oprah.com :
So what do you think? Want to give listening to your body a try? I bet you'll be surprised at what it has been trying to tell you.
Stay healthy and in tune with your body,
Loreal
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