4 Steps to Become In Tune with Your Body

I remember the first time I got a job after graduation, all I could think was, "They are going to find out I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm not experienced, though I had a degree related to the job. I will screw up and be kicked out."

This was no different when I started my own business. I kept thinking, "What if I can't answer their questions," "What if I can't deliver what I promised" and I looked totally irresponsible and messed up a great deal?

Imposter syndrome is not specific to you and me. It's a theme of life. Nobody knows what the hell they're doing when they begin something new.

All your fears will feel like they are going to come true, and the truth is, some will, but most won't.

You'll fail, cry, get frustrated, and want to quit every week, if not daily, sometimes. You've got to learn to reframe your thoughts.

You can learn to negate your fears by practicing mindful awareness of your thoughts daily.

Importance of synchronizing your mind with your body

"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophies." - Friedrich Nietzche

The mind consists of mental states such as thoughts, emotions, beliefs, attitudes, and images. The brain is the hardware that allows us to experience these mental states.

Mental states can be completely conscious or unconscious. We can have emotional reactions to situations without being aware of why we are reacting.

The mental benefits of meditation, mindfulness training, yoga, and other mind-body practices cannot be overemphasized in linking our mind to our body.

With daily practice and tuning down negative thoughts, I am able to tell as soon as something seems the slightest bit off with my physical or emotional state.

Steps to connect your mind and body

No knowledge, experience, education, and formulas in the world; even experts don't have the one thing you do - your intrinsic connection to yourself.

Your unique power is this internal communications line between your body and brain, and through developing this sense, you can greatly enhance your quest for optimal health and success.

Allow your emotions to flow

Mindfulness practices help you acknowledge the feelings that you tend to want to escape from - loneliness, sadness, and jealousy.

If you continually block these sensations from your body, you may limit the connection. You have to remind yourself it's okay to feel things.

I can't boost enough on the benefits of meditation on my mental health. Every day, I do 30 minutes of meditation before the day ends. In between my work routine, I take a pause and meditate for one minute.

You may feel like you don't have a lot of time to devote to mindfulness, but if you can set a minute aside to feel your breath, you might be surprised.

So in order to develop your intuitive sense, you have to allow yourself to interact with your physical body.

Watch the type of food you eat

The mind-body connection means that the body and brain are connected to each other through neural pathways. These neural pathways are made up of hormones, neurotransmitters, and chemicals.

These neural pathways carry signals between the brain and the body that perform daily functions, such as breathing, movement, sensory signals, digestion, and more.

For example, when you snack up on Hershey bars all day, you will most likely feel sick and/or miserable shortly afterward. Your gut is going to transmit that signal to the brain. In a way, your instincts will speak to you.

So it's acceptable to believe that what we put into our bodies has a direct effect on how we think and feel.

Write in your journal

Writing down your feeling on paper is beneficial, especially if you are healing from chronic illness. Jotting things down on a daily basis can really illuminate your patterns and help identify triggers.

When your mind is busy, it can be difficult to understand what you're really thinking about.

Putting your thoughts into words helps you process these feelings and enables you to work out what's important.

By taking a piece of paper or a journal and writing down everything that's going on in your life - and I mean everything from your work/school activities to your social obligation, you'll get a clearer picture of what is important and what's not.

Withdraw from unnecessary distractions

I truly believe you cannot tone into your body without eliminating unnecessary distractions such as our phones, social media and TV.

Distractions take up space in your mind and will constantly pester you. It takes energy and brainpower away from the most important things on your plate.

You have no idea what is happening internally when you are constantly bombarded with "noise" from the outside world.

Even something as simple as banning screens (phones, laptops, TVs) while eating or before bed can be extremely effective.

By eliminating the things in your life that don't bring you happiness or value, you will have more time to benefit from the things that do.

Parting words

Becoming in tune with your body will not happen overnight. It will take time, patience, and dedication.

So be gentle with yourself. It's okay to struggle with finding yourself. That's normal. In fact, it's beyond normal.

Once you master how to read your mind and take responsibility on every level for how you are and how you feel, you shift to a focus on self-love, self-acceptance, self-respect, self-appreciation, and self-gratitude.

You move into a space where you will feel whole and where loving your appearance and listening to your instinct is your normal.

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About author

Jessey Anthony is a motivational speaker, fitness coach and relationship expert who helps people become confident in themselves in any challenges they face in life. Sign up to my newsletter & more cool stuff.

Connect with me on Linkedin, Twitter, and Quora.

This article appeared here.