“Listen to your body. It knows best.”
The sage advice we hear all the time.
It sounds so simple but applying it proves much more challenging in reality. At least, that was how it was for me, for a long time. I must admit right off the bat that my tendency to overthink and overcomplicate things isn’t exactly helpful. And this tendency coupled with the information overload we’re facing everyday just makes the decision-making process more difficult.
In this digital age we’re living in, information is at our fingertips. What supplement should I take for my high blood pressure? What do people typically eat on a Keto diet? How does CBD help with my anxiety? A simple Google search would generate millions of search results and articles that would take a lifetime to go through. Not feeling like reading? Youtube got you. It can be hard to sort through the jungle of information presented to us. The authors of the articles or the presenter in the video are the medical professional and have a lot of credibility.
Who am I to question them? After all, they are the ones who went through years of schooling and have years of experience in the field they are practicing in. In a logical sense, I should listen to everything they say, right?
THE TYRANNY OF THE RATIONAL MIND
And that’s what I did. Determined to conquer my autoimmune disease and have more energy, I dedicated most of my free time researching everything I could on the topic, from the mechanism, the underlying cause to the proper diet and recipes. It was a fruitful search; I felt very confident and well-informed in my newly acquired knowledge. Everything will be smooth sailing from here. “I know almost everything I could possibly know”, I thought to myself.
The first 6 months went by, my health and energy level did not see much improvement. To my unpleasant surprise, I actually felt worse than before. I felt lethargic and bloated all the time. My skin kept breaking out. It was supposed to work well. I did everything by the book. Where did I go wrong? The frustration added more to my already high stress level.
With so many trials and errors and with my current level of awareness, I am able to see the detriment to my past approach. Insisting on the validity of the “head knowledge” I’ve accumulated, I ignored that voice in my body, the intuitive voice that has been trying to communicate to me all this time, completely.
I followed the elimination diet plan to the T, removed a bunch of this and replaced it with a bunch of that rigidly, took this supplement at this time, and drank all this fancy water. I stressed and obsessed over doing everything the right way. In retrospect, I did feel these little nudges and signals that my heart sent me. “ You don’t need this supplement”, “ Your stomach is not going to like this protein bar” . “ You don’t know anything”, I told myself. These scientists/ doctors spent years conducting these research and studies. Plus, the reviews look positive. People get great results; I should really try this”. This was my typical inner dialogue, aka inner conflict.
My restrictive diet was not the answer. Removing nightshades was definitely not the answer. Buying more organic stuff was not the answer. Looking back, some of the things I fell for were pure propaganda and marketing tactics.
HOW TO LISTEN TO YOUR BODY?
By sharing my personal story, I have no intention of invalidating science or authoritative advice. They certainly have an important place and serve as a great foundation. Take them in with discernment but please remember that they are not the absolute truth. Everything in this world is relative. Even if we have the same condition, experience the core symptoms, what heals me will not completely heal you.
Our bodies are unique and different, hence the different needs and approaches to our health challenges. And only you have the answer to what those needs and approaches are. It will be hard at first to listen to this voice inside you. But with discernment, awareness, and persistence, you will be good at it. As sad as it may sound, we are so conditioned to follow our rational mind by a society that favors the left-brain thinking.
When it comes to health, it is equally if not more important for us to listen to our body. The inner voice trying to speak to you, the uncomfortable and anxious feeling, muscle stiffness or tension, these are ways that the body and the heart are trying to communicate with you.
Sometimes, you have a rough day and all you really need is a cupcake. There is no way your body votes yes on that, especially when you’re on some sort of diet, right? You might think. No, your body also knows when you need a break and you need to treat yourself. Trust that voice, too! One very important thing I’d like to point out, respecting that voice doesn’t mean indulging.
There is a very fine line between those. Balance is the key here. Be reasonable and sensible. Do the research, take the pills, make that elaborate diet plan, but don’t forget to reconcile it with what your body truly needs. And like I said, it will take some practice in the beginning.
CLOSING
A couple of thousands of dollars on prescriptions and supplements and lots of trials and errors later, I finally found an approach that clicks and eventually got me off my thyroid meds. Nobody gets it right the first time. Mistakes and adjustments are inevitable, because that’s how we learn.
If I weren’t so stubborn and rigid, dismissing my intuition, a lot of time and money would have been saved. But what’s the point of regretting anyways? The most important question we should ask ourselves here is : what lesson do you get from this? Then laugh at ourselves a little bit, and move on.
LOVE,
Lydia
