Listen to the Body You Keep Ignoring
Your body leaves sticky notes: a tight jaw after conflict, a headache after screens, hollow hunger when you’re lonely. Ignoring these notes doesn’t make them disappear; it just makes them louder. Listening is not indulgent—it’s intelligence.
Common Signals, Plain Meanings
- Jaw/shoulders tight: bracing for impact → slow exhale + soften tongue.
- Chest pressure: unspoken words → name one sentence out loud or write it.
- Stomach knots: uncertainty → choose a next reversible step.
- Afternoon crash: under-fuelled + over-stimulated → water, warm food, light movement.
Pair Care: Physical + Emotional
- Headache: dim lights, water, eye break + text a boundary for tomorrow.
- Anxiety: extended exhale, cool wrists + write the 15-minute next action.
- Lonely: walk + voice note a friend; ask for a call time.
Daily Check-In (60 Seconds)
- Body: tense/loose? hot/cold? hungry/thirsty?
- Mood: sad/mad/scared/glad/tired/wired?
- Action: 5% kinder choice you can do now.
Environment Tweaks
- Greyscale after 9 p.m.; home screen = tools; phone charges outside the bedroom.
- Chair + pillow for lower back; lamp you like; one calm surface per room.
- Snack basket: nuts, fruit, yogurt; water bottle that lives on your desk.
10-Day Body Listening Reset
- Days 1–2: 12-minute daylight walk; drink water on waking.
- Days 3–4: two 60-second check-ins; one boundary text.
- Days 5–6: camera/brightness down; stretch shoulders/jaw at lunch.
- Days 7–8: one screen-free meal; warm, simple dinner.
- Days 9–10: review your notes; keep the two most helpful changes.
Final Thoughts
Your body isn’t dramatic; it’s specific. When you answer its messages, it stops shouting. The reward is steadier days—and a self you can actually hear.
More from Ichhori: