We are often very good at listening to the demands of the world around us.
The alarm in the morning. The emails waiting for a response. The people who need us. The appointments, deadlines, responsibilities and endless lists of things still to be done.
How often do we offer that same attention to ourselves?
Our bodies are communicating with us all the time. A tightening across the shoulders. A headache at the end of a difficult day. Sleep becoming less restful. A change in appetite. Fatigue that lingers. A sense of being constantly on edge, or simply feeling that we have less capacity than we used to.
Sometimes the signals are subtle.
A whisper rather than a shout.
Listening to the whisper
As a doctor, I have spent much of my career thinking about prevention. We often understand prevention in terms of reducing our risk of disease: improving our diet, moving more, reducing blood pressure, stopping smoking or attending screening.
Prevention can also begin much earlier.
It can begin with noticing and developing deeper self awareness.
Our physical and emotional health are deeply interconnected. Stress influences our nervous system, hormones, sleep, immune system, muscles, digestion and the way we experience pain. Equally, what happens within our bodies can influence our mood, our thoughts and our ability to respond to the world around us.
The body, brain, mind and environment are continually communicating with one another.
Wellbeing sits within that conversation.
What is your body telling you?
Modern life encourages us to keep going.
We work through tiredness. We postpone rest. We eat while answering emails, continue working long after our concentration has faded and promise ourselves we will slow down when life becomes quieter.
Over time, these patterns can become so familiar that the quieter signals from our bodies become harder to hear.
August Wellness Month offers an opportunity to reconnect with them.
Begin simply with curiosity.
How does your body feel when you wake up?
Where are you holding tension?
What gives you energy?
What leaves you feeling depleted?
When do you feel calm, connected and at ease?
What helps your body settle?
And perhaps most importantly:
What has your body been trying to tell you?
The power of the pause
A pause creates space.
Space to notice what is happening within us. Space to recognise when something needs our attention. Space to make small adjustments that support our health and wellbeing.
That might mean taking a proper lunch break. Going outside. Moving your body in a way that feels good. Reducing screen time and putting down your phone for a while. Getting more sleep. Spending time with someone who helps you feel at ease. Creating a healthy boundary. Asking for help. Or simply sitting quietly for a few minutes and noticing how you feel.
These small actions matter.
Health is shaped through thousands of interactions between our bodies and the lives we live.
This August, listen inwards …
Perhaps August can be an invitation to listen a little more closely.
To notice your body’s signals with curiosity and compassion.
To recognise what restores you, what gives you energy and what helps you feel safe, settled and connected.
To create more space for the things that support your health and wellbeing.
“Prevention is much more than the avoidance of illness. It is the creation of safety. When stress eases and the nervous system can settle, health has the space to grow.” When the Body Whispers – Dr Jasmin Tzortzakakis Malik
This August, give yourself permission to pause.
Listen to the quieter signals.
Your body may already be whispering.
Continue the journey
If this has encouraged you to pause and listen a little more closely to your body, my recently published book, When the Body Whispers explores these ideas in greater depth. https://amzn.eu/d/0eWWGADY
Drawing together medicine, neuroscience and our understanding of the connections between the body, brain, mind and the world around us, the book explores how our experiences can shape our health and how greater awareness can help us respond to what our bodies are communicating.
It is an invitation to become curious about your own health, to understand yourself a little better and to begin building the foundations for greater wellbeing.
Yours in health,
Dr Jasmin Tzortzakakis Malik
