There is a clear un-ease in our western world lives. For some, it’s stress, while for others it’s unhappiness. And many suffer from some form of unbalance or dis-ease without being able to name it.
According to the World Economic Forum, the number of people suffering from anxiety and depression has dramatically risen – and continues to do so -, particularly in developed countries. As one example, work-related stress affects over three billion people worldwide, and the World Health Organization has recently categorized burnout and work-related stress as diseases.
The demands of our hyper-connected, modern-day society have clearly surpassed our capacity to cope. Many of us are overwhelmed, experience chronic stress, and are in constant fight-flight-freeze mode. Because our bodies cannot sustain this state very long, we often unconsciously ignite a process of desensitization as a defense mechanism and numb ourselves by overusing or overdoing anything that will prevent us from feeling: alcohol, food, Internet, sex, social media, shopping, television, work, prescription drugs, etc. Through this pathological numbing, we bypass the neurological connections between our bodies and minds.
Numbing mechanisms may bring temporary relief, but do not address the underlying causes. For example, with recurrent lower backache, we can take pain killers to stop feeling the discomfort, but this does not address the underlying cause. When pain is ignored for too long, and the body can no longer sustain itself, it will collapse in order to be noticed, heard, attended to, and treated – burnout is an unconscious cry for help.
Learn to listen to your body
Emotional states are felt in the body – our inner compass. When something is off, our instinct and prime intelligence know and feel it. Think of statements we all make, such as “it was a heart-wrenching experience,” or “I couldn’t stomach the news this morning” that point to the location of our emotions inside our bodies.
We need to learn to tune into our discomfort in order to be able to attend it. The techniques shared below will help you to connect to your emotional and physical states and to recognize the link between them so that you can take steps to address the underlying cause of both emotional and physical problems.
Try these three simple techniques:
Daily morning check-in
Each morning, take a minute to sit with your eyes closed. After a couple of inhalations and exhalations, ask yourself these three questions:
- Hello, body, how are you doing today?
- Hello, emotions, what are you feeling today?
- Hello, brain, what’s on your mind today?
Daily evening body scan
Before you fall asleep at night, take a moment to fully inhabit your body by performing a mental body scan – you can do it in bed. This is a great way to release tension you may not even realize you’re experiencing. When you mentally scan each of your body parts and bodily sensations, you become aware of any aches, pains, tension, or general discomfort. The aim is not to completely relieve the pain, but rather to recognize it, acknowledge it, breathe into it, and then let it be.
- Sit, or lie down in a comfortable position and close your eyes.
- Take a few deep breaths. Let your breathing slow down and breathe from your belly instead of your chest, feeling your abdomen gently rise and fall with each breath.
- Focus your attention on the toes of your right foot. If you notice any discomfort, acknowledge it and any emotions or thoughts that accompany it.
- Next, shift your focus to your right foot, then your right ankle, followed by your right calf, shin, knee, and so on, continuing until you’ve covered all parts of your body while noticing how each body part feels and where you’re holding your stress.
You can also try to breathe into any body part where you feel discomfort – it may help you to release it.
Sitting with discomfort
When something unpleasant happens, taking a quiet moment to check in. Close your eyes and ask yourself:
- What do I feel after this has happened?
- Where in my body do I feel this?
- What shape, color, texture, temperature, etc. does this feeling have?
Practice these techniques to learn to truly listen to your body and benefit from the powerful guidance that its most extraordinary tool – your inner compass – has to offer.
