It's been a while since I had a headache. But, for the past two days, I knew that I pushed myself too far as a headache crept in and intensified. I stopped everything that I was doing and listened to my body's message. I hear you…
I decided to take an early night and cuddle up with my 2.5-year old instead. I took slow, deep, purposeful breaths, while savoring inhaling his baby scent and basking in the warmth of his cheek.
I’m sure that I still have traces of my tough Polish ancestor-age in my genes, they pop up in the occasional experience of guilt over not having done enough, in crazy work expectations, in mind over matter mentality, in my love of being productive, soldiering on until…
However, I learned to allow my body’s messages to take priority. If I don’t, my body would continue in her efforts to get my attention and the headache would surely go up a notch. In the words of Yelana from Frozen 2, when nature speaks, we pay attention!
An unhealthy attitude towards our body can erode our self worth!
One of the most commonly found attitudes that erodes at our self-worth is objectifying the body, treating it as an inconvenience, embarrassment, or relating to it with criticism, disappointment, frustration, or blame.
We know from neuropsychology that the emotional center in our brain and our body have an intimate relationship and are in a state of constant feedback. Our inner experiences and our body are not separate at all!
Our emotions are biological, so it is unfortunate that (particularly in the western culture) we are taught to relate to the body like to a designer bag; forgetting to appreciate that it is primarily there to support us in communicating with the world, one another, and our own inner experiences; some even believe our spirituality...
How can we relate to our body in a more empowering, self-worth friendly way?
By taking a moment to appreciate and celebrate the body; appreciating that your body is primarily there to support your emotional, physical, and spiritual growth.
By resisting thinking about the body as a separate physical outer shell that can be controlled, but striving to remember that it is a psycho-spiritual-biological expression of yourself!
By building into your schedule plenty of opportunities for releasing physical and psychological tension, so that your body does not have to express this tension for you!
Journalling is my all-time favorite practice for bringing awareness to my physical health, mindset, and inner experience. I feel fortunate to have always enjoyed my passionate love affair with words, language, writing… Throughout the ups and downs of my personal power journey, writing kept me grounded in my self, connected with my with my inner experience, clear…
Summary motto: Nourish your self worth through the habit of listening to the psycho-physical-emotional-spiritual being that is the unique, sacred, beautiful you!
To finish my headache story, as much as I would have loved typing away at my computer all night long, blocking out the encroaching fatigue, I took that evening off. Polish mentality aside—there is no shame in indulging in rest. I also blocked out in my calendar a couple extra me-time hours, every single week!
Thank you body,
What is your body saying to you today?
With love,
Bozena
www.bozenazawisz.com