When Your Body Says NO

I've heard from many patients about different types of injuries and accidents that they have sustained. Some are accidental while others, seem to be giving them a message.

Take Mrs. Smith for example. She came into my office with a twisted ankle after falling down 2 stairs. When I asked her to describe what was going on in her life at that time, we found out that life was quite stressful for her. She was carrying things in both arms and rushing to get the phone that was ringing. She was also taking care of 2 children at the time. When I asked her what her body was trying to tell her with her ankle...her response was to S-L-O-W down.

She admitted that she had noticed that life was going by too fast and wanted to slow down and because she didn't listen to her body, her body decided to make her.  For the next two weeks, she was forced to rest and recover.

So, other than injuring yourself...because that's not quite fun...what are some ways your body is sending you a message to tell you to slow down?
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• Getting sick. If you’re overworking your body and you’re not getting enough rest, your body becomes more susceptible to illnesses and diseases. Stress affects the immune system, causing it to decrease its function which can lead to illness. When 1 person in an office gets a cold, not everyone will. Those who don't possess the ability to fight the bug, will.
• Sleep is irregular. If you find yourself thinking too much at night or tossing and turning, this could indicate that your body is feeling stressed. Waking up multiple times at night and waking up not feeling fully rested are also indicators. You body feels like it has to be on alert at all times. It wakes you up because your fight or flight system thinks you’re going to get attacked, even though you aren't.
• A feeling of tightness or weight on your chest. Stress can cause anxiety and for some people this could feel like a tightening in your chest or abdominal area. Note that these could also be signs of a heart attack and you should seek the help of a medical professional. Heart attack is often caused by stress.
• Emotions and thoughts: Stress can be emotional in nature and can cause depression and anxiety.   
• Weight loss or gain. Some people eat more when they are under stress and can end up gaining more weight. Others, stop eating and lose weight. Keep an eye on any excessive weight gain or loss and emotional eating.​

​Listen to your body! Don't wait until it's too late to pay attention to it.