Learning to Listen to Your Body

Learning to listen to your body and be receptive of what it says and wants is a key element in having a positive and healthy relationship with yourself. However, we tend to ignore these feelings or thoughts.

I’m sure that most of us have spent a lot more time alone over the past year than ever before. Having to adapt to a new way of life led to many unprecedented changes, like a scarce social life. Which is why it is crucial for us to listen to our bodies needs to address any underlying feelings we may have.

Nonetheless, listening to how we feel and what we want is not always a simple task. Here are some tips and inspiration that I’ve gathered and applied into my own life.

Listening

This might sound silly but learning to listen to what your body wants, and needs is an essential tool for well-being. It’s easy to ignore thoughts or feelings by making ourselves feel bad about certain things like not eating the “right” food, not being productive, not exercising, not leaving the house, not getting out of bed, not being good enough, etc.

But the real questions are:

• What do YOU want to do?
• How do YOU feel?

So, what can/should you do?

• Be kinder to yourself
• Don’t put so much pressure on yourself
• Take it step-by-step
• Question your thoughts and actions
• Reflect on what feels good or bad

It’s easy to ignore how we feel by piling tasks or worries on top of our emotions. But the truth is, listening to how we feel can help us live life more intuitively and peacefully.

For example, if you’re feeling extra tired or moody on a certain day — be gentler! Don’t push yourself to do a grueling workout early in the morning before work. Don’t set your alarm early if you don’t have to be awake at that time. Don’t put expectations on yourself to act the same way you would on a normal day! It’s okay to have off days, and you should respect your mind and body by honoring how you feel.

Awareness

Becoming aware of our thoughts, feelings, and actions is important, but what and how we choose to act on this is essential. If you ignore how you feel today, you might feel the consequences of that choice tomorrow.

Lean into yourself and listen to your body. If you’re craving a hearty plate of spaghetti for dinner, make the damn spaghetti! Don’t ignore your cravings. Of course, everything should be done in moderation, but it’s important to listen, process, and feel your emotions.

If you’re feeling stressed you might feel it in different forms such as, headaches, soreness, body aches, jitters, etc. Maybe your back is hurting, and you need a good stretch. Don’t ignore what your body is telling you!

At the end of the day, you should always remember to be kind and patient with yourself. We all struggle with bad days but learning the tips and tricks to make a bad situation slightly better can make all the difference!

Listening and being attentive to what your body needs allows you to better understand yourself! I hope this inspires you to listen to your body and pay more attention to the things that make you feel your best.