Learn to Listen to Your Body

AtoZChallenge

One of the much required skills for your good health is learning to listen to your body. Your body often sends out signals when it is in need of something, or if something is drastically off the radar, but often, engrossed in our mundane everyday tasks or faced with deadlines, we tend to ignore those completely. 

A common cold, fever, flu or many other illnesses are like the crying babies who get the milk. With their announced symptoms, we rush to take care of the illness. But then there are those dangerous or even potentially life-threatening conditions which may be dwelling inside your body without your knowledge because they have no symptoms, or the few symptoms  they show are so mild  that you will miss them unless you know how to listen to even the tiny murmurs of your body. Cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are some of the silent monsters. 

Your body may tell you something with a lump, cramp, rash or increased tiredness, but how often do you listen to its clues or messages? We are so good at taking care of our homes, vehicles and family, but often tend to ignore our body where we have to live throughout our lives. Jim Rohn rightly said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live”. 

I made a mistake of ignoring an ankle ligament injury and it took me nearly two years to get back on my feet properly. After listening to the signs and taking care, I am now able to walk 3 kms at a stretch whereas two years ago I was struggling to walk even 100 steps. I needed a walker to even cover short distances. That is the punishment for ignoring the message my body was sending to me. 

When I felt a lump in my breast, I listened to my body and checked it out though my heart was denying that it could be dangerous or cancer. The  lump was as tiny as a peanut and not painful at all, so there was no way I would consider it dangerous. It looked absolutely harmless, but then it turned out to be Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (breast cancer) stage III. Timely intervention helped me survive for more than 2½ decades and I am still going strong. 

Leave alone this grave situation of facing illness, even in our everyday life, we need to listen to our body when it wants to rest, needs rejuvenation, needs a break, wants to sleep or wants to be activated. Yes, our body demands that you listen when it wants something, or else like a naughty child it will throw a tantrum. 

Many times we want our body to impress others so much that we exercise through pain, work beyond exhaustion and eat what we think is good for our body, yet at the end of it all we may feel tired, sick or bloated. Then we end up blaming our bodies for not being strong enough for tougher tasks, thin enough to meet the beauty standards, or simply not good enough. Is that the fault of your body?

You need to listen more to your body. Drink water when it says thirsty and not eat. Get enough sleep and not play on mobile late into nights. Rest in between hard work instead of pushing to meet that deadline. Keep it moving. And moreover be happy. 

Since we were young children, we were taught to ignore what our body says to achieve goals which helped us to fit in the society. Remember the days when you pushed yourself beyond your limits to score in exams?

Rayyan fighting Sleep

Body Winning Finally ... Exams!!! 

Or when you were told to wait for proper meal time when your body was crying hungry? When you had to sleep because it was sleep time when your body said “lets play”? Let us not even talk about sex drive, because that would be a book in itself, especially if I start talking about women in conservative society. 

How about unlearning those rigid rules and numbers we place on the body for it to be perfect, but rather listen to it like a good friend. It is not a crime to compromise for the needs of your body, right?

Do not confuse that influence of ads, peer pressure, or what you have come to believe your needs are to be the voices of your body. If you want to eat a particular brand of chocolate - it is not your body talking to you, it could be the ad that you watched a few hours ago.. Learn to identify the difference between your learned, influenced cravings and cues from your body which is the feeling in your core, your nature. 

Dedicate a few minutes at intervals to listen to your body. It keeps sending you messages, gut feelings, core intuitions all the time. Stop reasoning them or evaluating them logically, instead listen. Your relationship with your body is not much different from that you share with your lover. If you do not listen and respond, the body stops talking to you as well. You become accustomed to ignoring its needs, pleas and suggestions and finally it will give up on you. Let us not have that kind of a breakup. 

Let us start listening to our body with respect and live longer, laugh heartily and stay healthy.