How well do your listen to your body?
 

Recurring theme I've seen on SR -- people (most likely) needlessly suffering. Granted, there's a wide array of cases here, but it seems like quite a few suffer from things that can be prevented. I'm curious, how well do you listen to your body? I may be a drunk, but I do listen to my body quite intently, and it does let me know what it needs.

Whether I need more greens, more calcium, more B1, more sleep, more sun, more exercise, whatever... I can tell, and I think we all can if we listen properly. Then I basically just blindly follow along with what my body tells me, and virtually everything else in life takes second place.

So, how well do you listen to the signals your body gives off? Do you just hush that voice up because your mind thinks it knows better? Maybe ignore them because you're too busy? Maybe listen to them intently as well?

Unfortunately, for too many years my body was telling me I needed another drink. Especially in the morning when I first awoke.

Addiction over powered my bodies voice. I had to stop drinking for a few months before I could properly hear what my body was trying to tell me.

But yes being in tune with my body again is one of the best things about being sober.

I personally have health anxiety so listening to my body is a double edged sword! Sometimes it never shuts up ;-)

Gradually tuning in to what is good for me. Obviously not poisoning myself with alcohol is the biggest change but jogging, walking an some anaerobic exercises help, they help be to sleep better too

I can now but early on I was completely detached. Putting so maNY substances in my body cut me off from my higher self, and then even when I quit substances I would self indulge in binge eating and other compulsive behavior like thst, for people who are recovering from eating disorders - it cuts off our ability to tell when we're actually Hungry or Not. I bring all this up bc for me, all of this hard work I've done ariund dissociating and abusing my body in any way possible makes it 100%more exciting to be able to listen to my body and higher self . SaYing no to going out bc I'm too tired is hard for a ppl pleaser like me, but then it got easier with time. I studied a lot of Chinese medicine too and I am always looking for better ways to take care of myself. The one thing I used to struggle with is iron but I have found a good source for tHat but I can definitely tell when I'm low, it's just obvious now. I needed to take a lot of magnesium when i first got siber too , now i take it in lower doses unless I can't sleep .Another big one for me is fish oil with vitamin D3 , I take it In really high doses for my depression. So yea, I can listen to my body but what's interesting is that it always changes, supplements taht I used to take years ago no longer serve me as well . I think a lot of it is just trusting your In tuition (which didn't exist when I was loaded )

Listening (especially when it comes to sleep) has been key to my sobriety. In the past, I would push myself physically and emotionally and use alcohol to rewArd or shut down. Now I see I can't do it all, and that's okay. And yet, I have more energy to do the things I've decided are most important and meaningful for me.

I echo what Matilda said. When I was drinking daily, I tried to do it all. Work hard all day, come home get my drinks in, dinner, a little TV...repeat. The result was high BP, cholesterol, poor sleep patterns, digestive system was not healthy and I'm sure a few more things. When I slashed my drinking by 90%, my body was actually able to tell me what it needed. Cravings for certain foods, certain liquids for hydration (often times cold water is the best), quality sleep. Its like when I was a kid again. Food just tastes better.