We spend so much time in our heads, we often ignore the important things our body is trying to tell us. Here are a few of the basics.
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“Pain is a message; don’t ignore it.”
We are quick to label pain as good or bad, but the reality is, it’s telling us something important about what’s going on in our body. Instead of popping a pill or pushing through it, slow down and take a look at where it’s coming from.
“You need to rest more.”
Really, you do. And sitting in front of a glowing screen isn’t “resting.” Unplug. Take some deep breaths, Get a massage. Go to bed earlier. Rest.
“Drink more water, please.”
And not water that you boiled and poured over some coffee beans. Just the regular stuff. Most people agree that the eight glasses a day is too arbitrary. There are so many other factors in play including whether you are a meat eater, what season it is and what your activity level is like. Two good rules indicators are your thirst and your urine output. If you are feeling thirsty, you are already starting to be dehydrated. Dark urine is also indicative of being under hydrated.
“Stop eating so much sugar.”
If you are feeling crummy, bloated, grouchy or otherwise miserable, take a look at your diet over the past few days. Extra sugar equals extra inflammation. We all love it, but it often doesn’t love us back.
“Be nicer to me.”
Our bodies aren’t somehow separate from our minds. They do exactly what we tell them to, and they only have the resources we provide them with. If we talk about, think about and treat our bodies like garbage dumps, we will have a very different experience living in them than if we treat them like homes we love to be in.
“Smile more often!”
After all, your smile is one of the most amazing powers you possess:
Photo credit: Flickr / dalcharl
All great points – except for “Drink more water”. This is so riddled with unscientific, outdated hooey I don’t know where I begin. Oh, hang on, yes I do. Coffee (and tea): These are not the diuretics you think they are. Any diuretic effect of caffeine is FAR outweighed by the amount of water in our cup. And for regular drinkers, the effect is less as our body seeks homeostasis and adjusts. 8 glasses per day? This is based on a flawed interpretation of a study from the ’50s/’60s. The study said the body NEEDS around 8 glasses ‘worth’ of… Read more »
A couple to add: “Don’t forget about your feet.” I know they’re way down there and it’s a pain to get down and scrub between your toes and to towel them off when you’re done, but really you’re about to stuff your feet into an enclosed space for the majority of the day. “Being ‘busy’ is not an accomplishment; it is a situation.” (This one relates to getting rest) Seriously, stop wearing the ‘busy’ badge like some sort of medal of distinction. Why are you busy? Is it because you’re desperately trying to meet the bills. Is “being busy” really… Read more »
Absolutely right about the feet
And especially right about “BUSY” — too many people use it as an excuse for not doing something. It’s become a badge of honor to be too busy to enjoy anything (“I’m too important and serious to have fun”). None of these people on their death beds are going to wish they had been busier in life. This is where we Americans have gone wrong: life should be enjoyed (using good sense), work is just a means to an end, not all of life (with some obvious exceptions)
So true on both counts! Our feet are far too neglected. And busy needs to go…it’s not a measure of success.
indeed footwear is ahem, unusually designed. 100yrs from now, people will ask we corseted our feet.
speaking of feet, did you by the vibram’s that you wrote about a while back in your twitter wall?
I still didn’t buy the Vibrams! Thanks for the reminder. I tend to be barefoot most of the time anyway.
please say/write more about feet and how to take care of them.
Once again, great advice Kate.
Short but good list, I agree with all of your points.
Especially Water and Smile! 🙂
And, this made me really smile:
“(sugar) We all love it, but it often doesn’t love us back.” 😀