3 Steps For Listening To Your Body & Preventing Illness

Learning to listen to our bodies is crucial for preventing illnesses. In this post, I share three steps for tuning in to your body and maintaining your health.

Our body speaks to us all the time. The question is: “Are you listening?”

Our physical body tries to get our attention by sending us constant signals. These signals start subtly: a feeling of discomfort, loss of energy, or simply a sense that something is off.

When we ignore these first warning signs, our body gives us stronger hints. For example, you might get a cold, a headache, or feel tension in your shoulder. Hopefully, these problems at least make you pause and give yourself a chance to recover.

But more often, we tend to push through because we’re busy, and our to-do list seems endless. So you might take an aspirin, eat extra vegetables, or get a massage.

While increasing your vitamin intake and relaxing are great, they only deal with the surface problem. The real problem is that you might not be taking good enough care of yourself. Instead, you place listening to your body at the bottom of your priorities. You don’t seem to have the time or the energy to stop what you’re doing long enough to give your body what it needs or to even get clear on what it is that your body requires.  

Why We Should Listen To Our Bodies

Ignoring our body’s cues time and again, coupled with not giving ourselves the space to recover fully from a common cold or illness, depletes our bodies. As a result, we erode our health, vitality, and energy levels—not because we want to—but because we haven’t learned how to avoid this pitfall. 

The younger you are, the easier it is to get away with this behavior. But you’ll pay for it eventually. Your body will get to the point where it can no longer pretend to be okay, and you’ll risk developing a (chronic) illness.

Most of the time, we muddle along, hoping we’ll recover quickly so we can get on with what’s important. Or so we think. 

You won’t start listening until your body’s signals become so loud or uncomfortable that you can no longer ignore them.

We need to heed the first call that something is off. When we learn to hear the earliest whisper of our body, we can prevent many problems. You’ll have more energy, be more productive and efficient, be easier to focus on, and not risk accumulating physical issues. In addition, you’ll save a lot of time, worry, frustration, and money trying to salvage a problem you could have prevented.

For example, let’s say you had chicken pox when you were younger, and it is the sort of thing that rears its ugly head occasionally, now you’re an adult. Instead of letting it get you down, use preventative measures or the fastest shingles treatment you can find in the pharmacy. Don’t let it take over your life or bring you down. If you need to take a break, do so.

Stop drowning out your body’s signals by staying busy and in your head, escaping on social media, or numbing your (emotional) pain through food, shopping, gaming, or exercising excessively.  The quicker you act on a disbalance in your body, the easier it will be to right the situation. And the less you’ll damage your health.

So, what should you do? How can you connect with your body and what it needs?

The answer is as simple as it is powerful. 

Step 1: Ground yourself.

Most people spend so much time working on the computer, on the phone, or in meetings that most of their energy is present in their heads. When you are grounded, you become centered and clear. When you take away the excess energy in your head and spread it evenly throughout your physical body, you’ll be able to feel your body better. 

There are different ways to ground yourself, but one of the fastest is this grounding exercise I created. Tip: grounding is more accessible when you stand and take off high heels. The more the soles of your feet can connect with the floor, the easier it will be.

You can listen to this powerful grounding exercise for FREE here

Step 2: Stop and listen.

After you’ve grounded yourself, I suggest you pause for a moment. Feel your body. What stands out or asks for your attention?

Once you are centered, you might notice you’re much more tired than you thought. In addition, you might become aware of aches and pains you’ve been able to drown out by staying busy and focused on staying active. 

That’s valuable information. It tells you your body is overburdened, and you might be doing too much or a form of exercise unsuitable for your body. 

Step 3: Learn to interpret the signs of your body.

At first, it might be challenging to hear what your body is trying to communicate. Give yourself time to listen and pay attention to subtle nuances. 

For example, notice how your body responds after a meal. Does your energy go up or down? Does it become easier or more difficult to focus? Do you get a tummy ache or headache? Do you have difficulty falling asleep? When you get acquainted with your body and how it responds to food, you’ll learn which products to steer clear of and which will boost your energy.

Pay attention to any signals your body sends because it lets you know something is off. The more you trust your intuition, the easier it will be to intuit what you can adjust to return to balance. When in doubt, take a break and relax. We’re doing too much most of the time and not taking the time to recover and recharge. 

Final Thoughts

When you learn more about your body’s rhythm, you can try to adjust your schedule to support your well—being rather than undermine it. 

Your body shares so much valuable information with you every single day. Your job is to listen. Remember to be kind to yourself (and your body) by giving yourself time to reconnect with who you are and what you need to be balanced and happy.

PS If you want to learn more about taking good care of yourself and having all the energy you need to live a life you love, my book RADIANT might be for you. Find out more at www.radiantbook.nl