Paying attention to your body's signals when it is communicating what it needs is a skill that takes time and attention. The more you listen to your body, the more capable you are of becoming aware of knowing what signals mean what.
When you focus in on aches in your body, headaches, stomach issues, and imbalances you start to notice what is causing them and how you can soothe the issue. For example someone with lots of anxiety may begin to watch less videos that stress them out and take a step by drinking nervine herbs that soothe their nervous system so they are not overstimulated and can relax. The more they notice when the stressful feelings are coming on the more they can treat themselves or be prepared going into days/ situations they know will bring on the issue.
Of course you could pamper your immune system or nervous system every single day in hopes of ultimate health. However, we are all human and this is not realistic. You cannot be 100% stress free or even 100% germ free.
Your body will tell you what it needs when it needs it you just have to listen to it. While working and living life we tend to lose connection with our own bodies.When you are in a relaxed state it is easy to analyze your patterns, habits, and feelings in your body. Here are some ways you can tap into your mind body connection and begin to create that relaxed state to really listen to your body's signals and become more aware of what your body needs.
1. Meditate
Plant yourself in the ground and water your roots! Ground yourself and find your center. Meditating allows you to focus on your breathe, your state of mind, and channel your thoughts. Create a verbal meditation to repeat that will guide you to connect with yourself.
For example- "I am present, I am me, I am resourceful, I am powerful, I am feminine, I am healing, and I am aware. I am connected to my body and I am flourishing."
2. Drink tea for each concern you have.
Do your research! Try new things! There's a tea for that! Chamomile and Green Tea do not fix everything. Yes they are popular but there are SO many herbs to enjoy. Herbal Teas come from plants in places all over the globe. They have many vast properties. Nervines, pungent herbs, drying herbs, laxative herbs, you name it there is an herb for whatever you need. When it comes to drinking teas make sure you educate yourself on how much tea you should be drinking to see results from the benefits of the properties they hold.
3. Stick to a self care ritual
A new habit can be formed through repetition for 30 days. Have you heard that before? A ritual is something that is repeated. The more you repeat a ritual the more it becomes a part of you. The more you care about yourself the better you look and feel and the more natural it becomes. Creating a self care ritual and even adding to it when you find something that you benefit from like drinking a certain tea everyday before bed, you should incorporate it into your ritual to maintain the results. If meditation is something that you benefit from incorporate that daily to lesson your anxiety or stress levels and maintain the good feelings meditation brings you.
4. Journal your thoughts.
Sometimes our thoughts get overwhelming and its not even our own voice in there after dealing with people all day. Write down your thoughts on paper in a journal or even just a sheet on the go to look at what you're thinking. Connect with yourself by seeing your thoughts from a new perspective and slowly break them down to make sense of them.
5. Give yourself a massage.
Over stimulation from the outside world can numb our bodies to be in fight or flight mode. Stimulating the nervous system in a gentle way by rubbing your own back or feet can calm you down and connect you with your being very quickly and effectively. This allows your body to connect with your mind that you are with you and in control of you.
6. Deep clean your home and body
Dirt piling up, dishes piling up, clothes piling up, hair getting overly messy, makeup caking up, dirt from everyone's shoes all over, you become buried in all of it trying to find the best version of yourself you know so well. You need to brush it off and see yourself. Your home and appearance is an extension of how you feel on the inside. Clean it all up and see how much more "you" you feel each time. Practice even doing small clean ups when your not feeling connected with yourself and see the results each time afterwards.
7. Practice acceptance and forgiveness.
Holding onto a negative feelings will bury yourself as well. Our emotional reactions can be felt in our body and studies have shown that depression can lead to serious bodily health issues. Our mindset can affect how much attention we give to our own bodies.
So, practice accepting things you cannot change. The things you cannot change do not affect you when you let them go. The more you focus on what you can control the more connected you become with yourself. The more you let go and forgive what is negative the more room you have for positive energy. Lifting a weight off your shoulder is a figure of speech but can feel very real when you simply let go of the thoughts holding you back!
Your mind and body are yours and only you know the best ways to take care of them. Listen to what your body is signaling you it needs. Be proactive with your self care to avoid many different issues and don't be afraid to try new ways of healing and connecting with yourself.