3 Ways Listening to Your Body Will Change Your Life

Even though I used my body endlessly via dance, singing, tae-kwon do, running and more - I ignored everything it was telling me.

I was exhausted, but I had to stay awake. I was anxious with a bad stomach ache, so I pressed on. I had the flu, but I also had meetings I had to run. I completely lost my voice during rehearsals for a show, but I’d push it harder. 

The message I heard all around me, and told myself was that I should ignore my body unless it was for other’s approval or consumption. 

I should ignore my body because it couldn't be trusted. I most certainly could not be trusted to know myself, or understand what was happening with It with any reliability. I simply needed to try harder, push harder, push through, and ignore what I felt.

And whatever I was experiencing wasn’t a sign to investigate further, but rather more evidence confirming I was abnormal, broken, damaged, and weak. These narratives were confirmed by what I saw and heard out in the world. “No pain, no gain!”. “You gotta push through.” “You have to pay your dues!”. “The show must go on.”.

Oftentimes emotions and reactions to stressful situations would take over my body. My emotions were in control of my body. I shattered a mirror door at home as a tween. I would scream and rage at the top of my lungs if I felt hurt, or wronged in some way. I’d take diet pills to lose weight SO consumed with how my body looked, that I ignored the obvious signs I was having a severe allergic reaction with hives, shortness of breath, and heart palpitations. “Keep running Sarah, you have to push through.”.

There were times I felt great in my body - almost always when I was moving or performing like I mentioned. Those times, I felt very in control of my body, but they were minimal. It was a complicated relationship with my body, which seemed to have a life of its own, and I certainly could not be trusted with it. Why did I even deserve it?

But everything changed when I started listening to my body. My life improved dramatically when I started listening. The first few times I listened, I really didn’t have much of a choice, but since then, I’ve listened consciously, and graciously, and because I listened and appreciated it, my overall well-being improved, and I grew in major ways. Here are a few of them:

It was a mental health game-changer

In my mid-20s, I hadn’t heard much about therapy or mental health at all. I was thrust into it. What I thought I understood (and was horribly wrong about) was that it was for “really sick” people who needed to be institutionalized. I certainly didn’t know or hear anyone speaking about common terms like therapy, anxiety, depression - or mental health in general, otherwise. That was until my former boss and mentor normalized a lot of it for me. She connected me to a bunch of therapists for help when my own medical specialists told me I was “fine” (and also told me to consider therapy). I didn’t travel, I couldn’t work or do anything basic because I was having debilitating panic attacks, and severe chronic stomach pain, so I went to therapy. Come to find out I had anxiety, and just needed to get professional help and talk to someone. Not only did I reduce my anxiety, and start to understand my feelings and outbursts, I became financially independent, and more confident, and my career skyrocketed. It also opened my eyes to fitness - weight training, teaching indoor cycling, and Muay Thai, which was integral in my mental health journey. Therapy led me to leadership coaching, life coaching; a whole world of self-development that showed me I wasn’t alone, I could change, and I could feel and be a lot better. Understanding the connection between the brain and body; that mental and physical health were deeply connected, AND that tackling my emotional wellness impacted my body, transformed me completely. I’ve had mental health struggles over the years, but I haven’t had a panic attack or severe stomach issues in 18 years.   

It literally saved me from dying

Listening to my body has saved me from harm more than once, but one, in particular, was a few years ago. I have Generalized Anxiety which makes me highly attuned to myself, others, and the world around me. I notice and analyze everything. I am also in great physical/cardiovascular health, teaching 4x per week at CycleBar, and weight training 3x per week. So when I underwent breast augmentation surgery a few years ago and was told I was at virtually no risk for complications, I was unsurprised and confident about having the procedure (especially because I’d had hip surgery previously). But 5 weeks post-op, I was cleared to be back on the bike, yet feeling like utter crap. I had chest pain, a stabbing sensation in my back, and I could not breathe or carry on a conversation. At urgent care, I was told I probably just had a virus, and was sent home. I went back the next day, and from there after tests, I was told it was very serious, and that I had to be taken directly to the ER immediately; that I had two Pulmonary Embolisms in my lungs…yet was sent home again (I’ll save my pop off on women and the healthcare system for another day).  At home, I called 911, collapsed, then was rushed to the ER and finally admitted. Paramedics and doctors told me what happened to me was not ok; I was very lucky, my heart had saved me, and I had done the right thing to push back. My blood pressure and oxygen were barely existent. My heart was working overtime. They didn’t know where the clots were coming from, and if there were more. If I wasn’t attuned to my body, if I wasn’t in shape, if I hadn’t listened, and if I hadn’t pushed back, I would not have survived. 

It boosted my confidence

To that end, I started speaking up way more, saying NO more, and trusting exactly what my body was telling me. It was right, and it was right often. The messages were about all kinds of things in my life. I became a much more fierce self-advocate, and confident decision maker across all contexts. I could quickly and confidently assess whether or not someone was a good romantic match for me, confidently say no, and walk away. I confidently knew what “nerves” before a big interview that I cared deeply about were, vs. “nerves” attributed to a values and opportunity mismatch. I had clarity about what was important to me, and what was unhealthy for me because my body would instantly communicate with a sign like nausea, tension, or heart racing. One time, almost immediately, my body sensed I was in danger when a man sat next to me on an afternoon train going from NYC to my family’s home in CT. That intuition + confidence in myself stopped a sexual assault from happening. Another is having the confidence to say no when I’m being pushed too hard physically, or when I’m pushing myself too hard. I no longer subscribe to the belief that gains come from pain, or that working myself into the ground for a customer, person, or establishment, is acceptable or healthy. I confidently know the difference between discomfort and pain. I know I’m not “crazy”, imagining things, or being dramatic. And instead of spending all the time and energy second guessing myself, or judging my body’s response, this confidence helps me swiftly address the issues, ideas worth investigating, investing in, and strongly form an opinion.

Are you ready to create a deeper connection with your body? Click the link below to setup your free discovery call to learn how I can help you navigate these tricky slopes!