We really do take our bodies for granted.
While they help us move and interact with this world, our bodies also try and tell us what we are feeling, or what’s not “so good” for us.
And yeah, we ignore those signs — we dismiss them as “not sleeping well”, or “didn’t eat today”, or even, “I got a lot going on”. We frequently push away (or push past) the subtle but important cues our bodies are giving us, to let us know “hey, this isn’t okay, we don’t like this”.
There are definitely some exceptions to this rule — sure, we may be feeling tired if we got about 3 hours of sleep last night. And yes, you could have low energy for your day, if you haven’t eaten anything. And it is true that when you have a lot of thoughts, or things to take care of, you will feel disorganized, pressured, and distracted. These things though, have definite reasons; there is a direct reason for your current state. But what about when there isn’t a direct reason, and you are still feeling these things? Maybe from the moment you wake, until the moment you sleep?
So here’s the thing, your body, my body, everyone’s body, responds to the world we are living in. And more specifically, your world you are living in. It’s the brain’s way of trying to protect, trying to give you a heads up, trying to let you know that something is off. And we need this reminder, apparently, because we aren’t always aware of what we are experiencing while in this world.
We definitely have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to our emotional experience, and we don’t often attend to it, like one would with their physical health.
When we have a sore arm, or leg, or other body part, we go to the doctor and find out what is wrong. But what about when our emotional state is sore — what do we do with that?
How do we know this is a “soreness” or hurt?
How do we tell if something isn’t right?
Most folks will identify an internal experience being had; a feeling, and sometimes a physical sensation. This is our bodies communicating with us!!!! What we feel emotionally, can usually have a physical response to it.
When you feel stressed, does your head hurt?
Maybe your shoulder or neck? Maybe even your back?
What about when you feel sad — how’s your stomach feeling?
Do you feel like your muscles are like lead, and it’s a struggle to move around?
What about when you’re feeling joy, excitement, or happiness?
Do you have “surge” of energy, like you gotta move?
How about your heart, does it pump a little faster?
Do you feel overall warm?
These are just a few ways our bodies try and communicate with us …….can you think of anymore?
So if our bodies are also communicating, when we know what we are feeling -- what about when we don’t know our feelings, and the body is communicating to you? This is where we have to get better at listening, lol, and really becoming more aware of our bodies and its cues.
So the next time you are feeling something physical, and can’t find a direct reason, it may be a good time to say “what am I really feeling at this time?”
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