Talking to yourself – weird or necessary?

This week, I took a little break from scouring the internet for SIBO information. I could feel myself getting a little wrapped up in it all, so I’m just chilling. I’m on the antibiotics, so I’m just letting them do their thing (more on that later), and I’m trusting that Dr. Nicole will be reviewing my previous labs to decipher a killer plan of action for when I see her next (April 29th).

Saying that, taking a step back allowed me to use my brain power for other things – a few podcasts that I enjoy that I had putting on the back burner, for instance. Podcasts are amazing – you have access to knowledge and new ideas for FREE. #blessed.

One podcast that I’ve been loving lately is Almost 30. Honestly, these girls are the GOAT. Krista and Lindsey are so fun to listen to, and caring for their listeners. Their podcast focuses a lot on wellness, bringing in amazing guests to chat about mental health, physical health, mindset, manifestation, etc. A few episodes I’ve listed to recently have been helping my mindset this past week.

On one recent episode (I can’t remember which one), they were chatting about shifting how you communicate with your body. It was an interesting thought: your body has been listening to your mind your entire life. Every negative thought, your body has heard and absorbed. Kind of eye-opening, right? I thought about all the negative thoughts I’ve had in my 26 years on earth – every self-diminishing thought, every “what if”, every “you’re not good enough”. Thinking about that, it’s no wonder the physical pain you can feel and damage you can experience as you walk through life.

So what if we flipped that, and actually thought kind thoughts about our bodies and communicated that internally. It seems silly, but what if you stopped yourself every time you had a negative thought and turned it positive; better yet, what if you just started your day or took time every day to proactively say positive things about yourself and your body.

I’ve been trying it the past few days – and honestly, this will sound a little “woo woo”, but I swear it has helped. It has helped me release tension from my body. I never really realized how much of my day is spent in tension until I actively tried to relax. My shoulders are typically always raised, my breath shallow – almost as if I’m perpetually in a fight or flight mode, ready to be stressed (which aligns with the fact that I do have adrenal fatigue, so makes sense!). But I’ve noticed when I take time to think positively and just truly breathe, some of that tension instantly drops, and I feel a little more relaxed.

A little mantra I’ve been starting the day with or saying throughout the day when I need it: “Good morning/hello body, I am thankful for you, you are safe, I love you.” It sounds ridiculous, I know. But try it, I swear it’s euphoric.

I’m starting to realize that for the past two years, I have felt like I’m in a state of fighting with my body. Part of it is because of my symptoms I’m feeling – stressing about them, being angry about them, trying to get rid of those symptoms, etc. Part of it is because I’ve been striving to achieve a certain image – a socially accepted image (probably a deeper rooted issue here, I know).

So I think moving forward, some of the work I need to do is flipping the switch from fighting with my body to working with it.

I wish it was as easy as just “flipping the switch”. Honestly, as I type this, it feels so silly to even have this issue. Why would anyone ever feel at war with their own body?!

But I don’t think I’m alone, in fact, I think a lot of people feel this, but just don’t openly discuss it. I am beginning to crave so deeply to feel one with my physical self, in both functionality and visual acceptance.

So how do you practically go about achieving this? Well, that’s the million-dollar question, now isn’t it?! I think it’ll be a continued practice and journey that I’ll have to intentionally focus on. I’m sure I’ll continue to discover new things about myself, what works and what doesn’t for helping me stay aligned, but for now I’ll stick to my little morning mantra and just remind my body that it’s safe, and I’m taking care of it.

xx

happily Haleigh