Do You Listen to Your Body?

When’s the last time you really listened to what your body had to say? On a daily basis our bodies can tell us a lot. When we wake up in the morning, our bodies might say “um, not enough sleep yet” or “thanks for going to bed early last night, I feel great”. At lunchtime they may say “oh boy am I hungry” or “eh not so much”. When it’s time for a run they might say “ouch, my hamstrings are tight” or “I can’t wait to get to mile 10!”

There are so many things our bodies tell us moment by moment throughout the day, how (and if) we respond can make all of the difference. I thought about this a lot last week because my body had been telling me to slow down. My first reaction was to be irritated; I wanted to keep on going, not be held back! As much as I resented it, I listened, took it down a notch, and didn’t run for four days in a row. By Sunday morning when I started my long run I told myself to take it easy, but my energy was back and it ended up being a great run. Looking back, I’m sure that if I hadn’t listened, that run would have been miserable!

When is the last time you really listened to something your body had to say? Do you eat by rote whether or not you’re hungry? When you are feeling a little tired, do you make sure to get to bed a little earlier for a few days in a row or do you ‘push through’? When you are feeling stressed, do you try to find ways to bring a little relaxation into your life or ignore it until your head feels like it will explode?

My challenge for you is to take a moment to listen to your body at least once each day. You can make that moment the first thing you do when you wake up or the last thing before sleep, it could be right before lunch or right after; just make it a regular habit. The more habitual this becomes, the easier it is. Listen, see what your body is telling you, and try to respond as kindly as you can.

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