What Does Listening To Your Body Actually Mean
We all like, post, share & preach about "listening to our bodies" and how we need to pay attention to what our bodies are saying....but WHAT does that actually mean?
I used to be one of those people who thought they could do a million workouts a day, write 5 projects at the same time, jump from one bday party to another, help everyone who asks for it, and manage on 4 hours of sleep per night while grabbing every bite on-the-go...
Well, I soon realized (maybe not soon enough...),that that's just not sustainable.
Our body is a smart and complicated mechanism, and it sends us signals when something isn't right. Those signals can be really light & barely noticeable (such as sore muscles, a light headache, a bit of bloating...) and they can also be pretty bad (cramps, migraines, nausea, chronic fatigue, sickness or a serious illness). How we decide to listen and react to those signals is actually what makes all the difference in the world. We can ignore them and continue to live the same way we did until then, or we can stop, asses the situation and make the necessary changes to fix the problems.
If we go with the Option A - our bodies will continue to send us signals until we can't really ignore them anymore, the methods we could have used before to fix the problems won't work, and we need to implement some drastic measures to repair the damage we have caused.
On the other hand, if we go with Option B - we are listening to what our body is telling us, and we are fixing the problem in its very beginning, therefore, making it possible to continue living our life the same way we did until then, with some minor changes. That actually means to listen to our bodies - notice the signals, inspect them, find a solution, and work on it.
I wanted to share some simple tips I learned can help when you need to hit that reset button, so read on.
TAKE A REST DAY
Netflix and chill.
I am not kidding girl, DO IT. Put your phone in airplane mode, make yourself some nourishing dinner, draw a warm bath with lots of amazing essential oils, listen to a good podcast or your favorite music, schedule a massage or spa day, read a chick-lit, or simply put on a Netflix show & enjoy shutting off your brain. Drink plenty of fluids & feel your body getting back to normal!
MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY
We seeeeriously underestimate the importance of sleep. During the night, our cells go through self-repair & recharge to be able to perform at the optimal level the next day, our muscles grow, hormones are being synthesized and tissue repaired and rejuvenated. Think of it this way, what do you do when your phone starts flashing red and screaming 'battery low'?
My point exactly.
TRY OUT A DETOX CLEANSE
Whenever I feel like I'm not my best self, I reach out for a detox. Eliminating foods that cause inflammation and trigger a stress response is the best way to reset your body, balance out your hormones & recalibrate your metabolism by replenishing the gut with good bacteria. I am currently doing the signature Level II Cleanse Detox from Sakara and I can literally feel the changes as the days unfold. My energy is up, my sleep is not restless, my dark circles are getting less visible, and my concentration is on point! (I will be writing a more thourough review of the Detox in my next blog post, so stay tuned for that! In the meantime, if you're interested in learning more about Sakara, I wrote a full review in my previous post, so check it out & get a 15% discount with the code written inside if you want to give them a try!)
CREATE A CALMING ROUTINE
Find something that will instantly put you into zen mode & try to repeat it everytime you feel those signals creeping up. Whether it's a certain herbal tea, favorite song or anything I mentioned in the 'take a rest day' paragraph above, search for it & when you find it, keep on implementing it every single time when you need it. Soon, it will become natural to you, and it will be your healthy way of instantly turning that cortisol into serotonin :)
And remember...
You don't have to (and simply cannot) be at 672387 places at the same time, you don't have to say YES to everyone who asks you to do something, and you sure as hell don't have to apologize for it.
It's ok to take care of YOU <3
Xx,
Karla
