Listening to your body is an important part of achieving great overall health. Below are 5 signs that your body may be prompting you to make a change in order to rebuild your health:
1. You feel less energetic/depressed/moody. There are various reasons this can be the case but my personal belief is that your body has its own inherent energy and if it is not directed properly your body will suffer. Moping around and being sedentary are prime examples of this. The Fix: Challenge yourself physically and mentally. Perform any type of exercise that leaves you exhausted and you’ll lose that moody or depressed feeling. Mentally, learn to judge your thoughts as they occur. If you notice they’re negative or dwelling on the past then focus on something positive and more in the present.
2. Your clothes are fitting tighter in the wrong places. If you’re noticing it’s more difficult getting into the same clothes that fit you in the not-so-distant past than your body is telling you it’s time to make some changes. The Fix: Start with exercise but understand that no form of activity can outdo a poor diet. For nutrition, change your diet by adding in more fruits, veggies, and healthy proteins (lean meats, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, etc.), as well as drinking more water and less soda/coffee/alcohol. Do this for even 2 weeks and you’ll notice a difference.
3. Your mind feels cluttered. The most common symptoms of a cluttered mind is beginning a task, losing focus, and starting on something else until you realize nothing is getting finished or completed properly. The Fix: Start by evaluating your home and work spaces. Do you have things everywhere? If your environment is messy than believe it or not it will spread to your mind. De-clutter your office or any areas in your home that give you an uneasy feeling when you walk into the room and you’ll take a quick step toward clearer and more productive thinking.
4. You complain a lot. Complaining is often a sign of unhappiness and insecurity about how to proceed. Ultimately it’s unproductive and probably very annoying to your friends and family. The Fix: Add more fun/fulfilling things into your life and you’ll immediately start complaining less. Also, come up with action steps to solve a problem rather than just criticizing and you’ll feel much better.
5. Poor posture. Bad posture can lead to problems or it can be a sign of an existing issue. Sometimes your spine is damaged or out of place causing you to lean or contort in a certain way to avoid pain. The Fix: See a chiropractor! I start all of my exams with a postural check of the patient and they are amazed at how much information I can infer just from watching them stand in place. Usually after a single adjustment patients will come back to me and remark that they are standing straighter, less lopsided and no longer hunching over.