Do you do what your body needs?
Do you listen to what it tells you?
Do you do what is asks of you?
Whether it is going to bed early. Taking a midday nap. Eating something specific. Or drinking something specific. Taking rest. Or even taking an extra step into action?
I believe, no I just KNOW, that our body always tells you exactly what it needs. You only need to tune in and listen to it.
Most people however, just ignore it.
Keep on going, while their body is asking for rest.
Running even faster, all the while their body starts screaming
“Stop it! You can’t go on like this!”
And then…
Your body will shut down itself.
It will literally force you to take the rest you need.
Whether you want to or not.
Your body just forces you.
I have been there myself.
So much stress inside of me.
Stress that was built up for years on end.
My body couldn’t take it anymore.
But I didn’t listen.
Just kept on running.
Because I knew…
That if I would sit still
Take a rest
Do nothing actively
It would hit me…
The pain, the hurt, the sadness, the incomprehension
So I just kept on going. In need of something, I’ll take care of it. Really last minute change to some big project I was working on? No problem at all. I’ll take care of it. I was in complete denial. As long I would act as if nothing is wrong, then perhaps it will all just go away.
Untill my body was done. Untill it actually shut down. Then I was really forced to listen to my body and its needs. The hurt, the pain and all the stress came out and showed itself as physical pain. Many days I could only lay on the coach, do nothing, except feel the pain and just cry.
After a year of medical researches and doctors appointments, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Good! Now I finally knew what title to give the pain. But that was it. There is no miracle cure for Fibromyalgia.
Stuborn me though, I refused to simply accept it. So I did a lot of research into what I could do to lessen the symptoms. Now I know that reducing stress is the most important factor. For me, it’s simple: no stress = no pain.
Untill the day that my father passed away during my second pregnancy. The stress levels were extremely high, and showed itself in multiple ways.
I couldn’t think normally
I couldn’t concentrate
I couldn’t read e-mails or letters
I couldn’t understand numbers
I was sleeping bad
Eating bad and unhealthy
I was in a lot of physical pain
In countless ways my body was telling me that things had to change. That time, I started to listen to my body. Listen to what it needed of me.
And the crazy thing is…. I knew exacty what my body needed back then, but my mind refused to believe it. But I did it anyway.
Listen to my body
Ignore what was going on in my mind
Ignore what my ego was telling me
Because your mind, or your ego in most cases, can tell you a whole lot of BS. It is up to you to decide what you allow to believe. In fact, you can see it as if your mind or ego is playing tricks with you, if you allow it.
It tells you constantly that you’re not good enough. Not worthy enough. That you don’t even need to rest. That it is OK to ignore the pain and just keep on going. But also, that you absolutely need to eat that entire bar of chocolate. Or that pizza. And that eating health is totally overrated.
Listening to your body, it is so important. Your body ALWAYS knows exactly what it needs. What it craves.
So here I am right now. Enjoyig a nice warm cup of tea. While my mind keeps on wondering why on earth I drink tea now, instead of my normal cup of coffee. But nope, my body needs to right now. So I listen to it and act on it.
That’s why, right now, I am writing this message instead of doing so many other things that I should be doing. But I know I have to do this. Why? Because my body was screaming at me to let this message out. Not later, no right now!
So now I am curious. Do you listen to your body? To what it tells you? To what you really need?
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wow this definitely hit home…. and no most of the time I don’t listen to my body ..hence the down falls I have been having. im in denial big time I refuse to accept my new friend /enemy fibromyalgia but little by little im beginning to realize it its here and I have to work my life around it not quit how I live my life just slow down a little and listen to the signs I am a newbie at this one day at a time
I remember my first days, or months even, after the diagnosis. That feeling that you can’t live life the way you’re used too. The constant keeping in mind of how much energy you have, and what you’re planning for the rest of the day. It was a constant struggle.
But it can get better! So don’t give up! There certainly are ways of feeling better, even with fibro as your new friend/enemy. Focus on what your body tells you it needs. Could just be a day of rest. But… I was almost always able to move it out of me. Whenever I would feel a flare coming up, the itchy/trembling/weird sensation would start in my fingers. If I only feel it there, I KNOW i have to get up and move. Doesn’t matter what I do, as long as I get busy physically. Whenever I was too late with noticing it, it would have me laying on the couch all day…
But also food is really something to look into. There are so many things I kicked out of my “diet”, that help me feel better. Somehow sugar, carbs and gluten do something with my body to make the flares come up. And a lot of others have the same thing. So experience with what works best for you!