Listen to Your Body
The phrase ‘listen to your body’ is an expression that gets a lot of limelight (and I definitely use it regularly), but is very rarely explained. So I thought it might be helpful to think about what it actually means to ‘listen to our body? How can we hear what it is trying to say? And why does it even matter?
Paying attention to ourselves and our needs is certainly an important skill, but not many of us are good at it – particularly if we are disconnected from our bodies, very stressed, tired or used to distracting ourselves constantly with busyness, social media or other habits. Which, let’s face it, many of us are.
The pace life is lived at now means many of us are running from A to B and B to A without stopping for a breath so how could we possibly have the space to hear any body signals?
The body communicates in symptoms and feelings, not words. Sometimes, these signs are very subtle and require focused attention to be acknowledged. Unfortunately, however, we live in a constantly distracted world, where it is increasingly common to go through an entire day without having to be alone with our thoughts for even a minute – thanks to our phones, tablets, computers, TVs and all manner of other shiny devices. The mental chatter and noise that these create, can easily drown out the little subtle signs of our body not feeling quite ‘right’.
Even if we are conscious of symptoms or signs in our body, sometimes it can be really tricky to make the connections between what might be triggering or exacerbating them: Was it the result of a really stressful few days at work? Or that bad night’s sleep? Or the way my desk is set up? Or that meal I had earlier?
I see this so much in pelvic health. Women experience pain or an increase in prolapse symptoms and the first thing they think of is “What have I done wrong?”. “Did I lift too much?”, “Did I overdo it in the gym?”. In many instances, there is probably no one explanation for why you feel this way today. It may be a combination of lifting, stress, and poor digestive health on top of a bad night’s sleep.
The first step is nearly always…..
Slow down
Why is this so simple, yet SO HARD?!
If you know me, you know my mind is always go, go, go. I have to tell myself to slow down all the time. Why? Because I know that if I don’t, I’ll stop listening to what is best for ME and get it confused with what everyone else (society, social media, etc.) makes me THINK is best for me.
If you’re struggling to know the difference, it’s okay. We are constantly bombarded with comparison, conflicting information, and seeing others’ lives through rose-coloured glasses. So just remember to slow down, check-in with yourself, and center your goals around what makes YOU shine.
The majority of women I meet in the clinic with pelvic health issues such as prolapse, pelvic pain and incontinence are living in the fast lane, caring for everyone around them but forgetting to look after themselves.
The knock-on effect is a disconnection from their own bodies, especially the pelvic area. Women miss basic body signals such as the urge to open their bowels or rest when their body needs it. Constantly pushing through means that the body is not hear until it has to shout to be seen.
The Pelvic Floor RevivalThe Pelvic Floor Revival is a 6 week programme that I created for women with pelvic health issues. Less than 30 mins per day to commit to re-connecting with your pelvic floor and pelvis, leaving you feeling amazing again.