Your body is talking. Are you ghosting It?
What if the best wellness expert you’ll ever meet is... you?
We’re so quick to outsource our well-being to Google, ChatGPT, or blaming Mercury retrograde (again), instead of checking in with ourselves.
Meanwhile, our bodies have usually been whispering for weeks.
Maybe it’s not as complicated as we make it.
While reading The Joy of Well-Being by Colleen and Jason Wachob, one quote hit me in the gut:
“The body is wise and it does not forget.”
Your body is always speaking to you. The question is: are you listening or ghosting?
Your body has been talking to you
Let’s start here:
You yawn when you’re tired.
You sweat when you’re anxious or hot or sick with a stomach flu.
Your stomach growls when it needs food and tightens when it's too full.
Sometimes that random headache is just dehydration.
Bloating can be a sign that something’s off with your eating routine.
Your body isn’t being dramatic. It’s being direct. We’ve just gotten really good at ignoring it.
How my body got my attention
Let's drill in so you understand what I mean by "your body talks back."
The Eye Twitch
It started randomly, just a twitch, here and there. Then it became every day. I brushed it off… until I realized it was stress and my body was saying, “Hey, you need to chill.”
The knee pain
My right knee hurt consistently when I pushed myself to run long distances, which for me is like 1 mile lol. I learned to take that as data, reel it in, and choose other workouts while I slowly build my knee strength back up.
The Mystery Fatigue
Sometimes I feel heavy for no reason. Not sad, just done. In the past, I'd spiral and cry. Now, I pause and ask: Have I slept? Have I eaten? Do I need to cancel a scheduled plan?
Listening doesn’t mean ignoring the experts
Let’s be clear. Doctors, therapists, and health pros are essential. Seek their guidance and definitely ask questions. But remember, you are the CEO of your health. You live in your body every day, and that makes you the expert on how it feels.
Take exercise. A trainer might swear by 5 AM CrossFit, but it honestly may not work with your schedule or your body in general. Dragging yourself there might do more harm than good. Or maybe a prescription helps some people but feels off in your body. That’s worth a conversation. Not everything needs a second opinion, but sometimes your gut is your first opinion.
How I stopped ghosting my body
If you’re wondering, “Okay, but how do I actually do this?” let me share what’s helping me listen better:
Check in, don’t check out
When I feel off, I sit and ask, “What do I need right now?” Not “What should I do?” Just… need.
Hydrate before you diagnose
Some problems are life-altering, but others are dehydration.
Rest without earning it
Your body doesn’t care how productive you were today. It cares if you’re alive next week. Naps help me and maybe they’ll help you too.
Pay attention to the weird stuff
Fatigue. Headaches. Random tears in the cereal aisle. I jot it down. Eventually, I notice patterns. It’s usually the same culprits: too many things on my plate, missing my friends, or too many deadlines.
Pick movement that feels good
I’m embarrassed to say I was a “no pain, no gain” girlie. Now before my workout I ask, “Does this excite me?” and after I ask, “Am I in pain?” That’s the bar.
Gut feeling > Google result
I still value expert advice but I also value when my body says, “No thanks” to something. It’s not rebellion; to me, it’s wisdom.
Your body isn’t a project. It’s a partner.
There’s a saying: “If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won’t have to hear it scream.”
Your body is your oldest friend. She has seen everything, knows what you’re carrying and what you’ve survived. Remember, she’s not asking for perfection, just asking you to listen.
