Every-Body's Talking

Becca Bowen

I Pods, MP3 players, movies, CDs, TVs, Radios, cell phones... there is a lot to listen to these days! The one system we should make sure to listen to is our own body. Listening to our bodies is an essential step in staying healthy. Are you hungry? Tired? Sleepy? Thirsty? Our body is designed to cue us in to what it needs. Our body says, "Hey, go to bed! Get a snack! Slow down!" Our bodies also talk to us about our emotional needs. Tight muscles, shallow breathing, a fast heart rate, "butterflies" in your stomach...these can all be signals that your body is telling you something about your feelings. What do you need?

When I'm angry, frustrated, or stressed, walking helps me. When I'm nervous, I need to take deep breaths and relax my muscles. When I'm sad, I need to talk to a friend. Exercise or spending time outside helps when I'm down. Just like our body talks to us when we need food to stay healthy, our bodies are talking to us about what we need to stay healthy emotionally. We just have to learn to listen.

Things to try: breathing deeply, exercising, taking a bubble bath, listening to music, spending time with friends, talking to somebody who listens, journaling, PRAYING, watching a funny movie, resting, or taking a walk.