What Your Body is Trying to Tell You

JULY 10, 2013 BY KATE BARTOLOTTA

We spend so much time in our heads, we often ignore the important things our body is trying to tell us. Here are a few of the basics.
—

“Pain is a message; don’t ignore it.”

We are quick to label pain as good or bad, but the reality is, it’s telling us something important about what’s going on in our body. Instead of popping a pill or pushing through it, slow down and take a look at where it’s coming from.

“You need to rest more.”

Really, you do. And sitting in front of a glowing screen isn’t “resting.” Unplug. Take some deep breaths, Get a massage. Go to bed earlier. Rest.

“Drink more water, please.”

And not water that you boiled and poured over some coffee beans. Just the regular stuff. Most people agree that the eight glasses a day is too arbitrary. There are so many other factors in play including whether you are a meat eater, what season it is and what your activity level is like. Two good rules indicators are your thirst and your urine output. If you are feeling thirsty, you are already starting to be dehydrated. Dark urine is also indicative of being under hydrated.

“Stop eating so much sugar.”

If you are feeling crummy, bloated, grouchy or otherwise miserable, take a look at your diet over the past few days. Extra sugar equals extra inflammation. We all love it, but it often doesn’t love us back.

“Be nicer to me.”

Our bodies aren’t somehow separate from our minds. They do exactly what we tell them to, and they only have the resources we provide them with. If we talk about, think about and treat our bodies like garbage dumps, we will have a very different experience living in them than if we treat them like homes we love to be in.

“Smile more often!”

After all, your smile is one of the most amazing powers you possess:

Photo credit: Flickr / dalcharl