Learning to tune into your body can help you become healthier and stay that way. Some people just know when they need to change their diet or need more protein or vegetables. They’ve learned to pay attention to the subtle cues that the body offers and follow through with the request to feed it right. If you’ve ever felt out of sorts only to realize later that the reason is all the junk food and lack of fruits and veggies in your diet, you have a clue how your body communicates with you.
Learn to judge whether you’re hungry or just want to eat out of habit.
Sometimes you’re not really hungry, but you eat any how. You may find yourself substituting food to eliminate boredom. Eating mindfully means more than just knowing if you’re hungry. It’s deciphering what your hungry for and why. Do you need the nutrition? Do you really enjoy the food? Savor each bite and appreciate how it helps your body. It’s not only a way to listen to your body, it’s a way to get in touch with it so you can listen.
Is that hunger really thirst?
So many people fail to identify the difference between thirst and hunger. Sometimes, when you think you’re hungry, your body is really craving more fluid. Learn to know the difference between the two. If you think you’re hungry but you’ve recently eaten or shouldn’t be, it’s probably thirst that’s driving you. Try a tall glass of water first and wait to see if the craving is gone. Chances are, you’ll be more likely to recognize thirst easier each time you do.
Do you feel stress?
Not everyone knows when they’re stressed out, some people keep on functioning, barely realizing that the sick feeling in the pit of their stomach comes from stress. A quick way to learn what this body cue means is to do things to help offset stress and see if you feel better. Meditation can help, but so can exercise. In fact, most people find that exercising makes them feel better, but seldom realize it’s because that feeling comes from it relieving stress.
- Listen to your body when it tells you that you’re tired and worked out enough. Trying to workout beyond your point of exhaustion is dangerous. Know the difference between true pain and normal muscle soreness.
- Pay attention to each movement when you exercise. It helps you learn the language of the body faster.
- Are you accustomed to going all night and ignoring that tired feeling? That actually slows the process of knowing your body better. Learn to rest when you’re tired or at least take a few minutes to meditate and rest your brain.
- Remember the more you ignore the messages from your body, the harder it becomes to listen or understand the signal it sends.