Your Body is Smarter Than Your Brain (And It's Time We Listened)
You know that one friend who remembers all the details from your party days, even the ones you'd prefer to forget? The one who brings up that embarrassing thing you did in 2009 every time you're in a similar situation?
Your body is kind of like that friend. Except instead of embarrassing stories, it's keeping score of every stressful meeting, every time you pushed through exhaustion, every moment you ignored what you actually needed. Even if you've mentally moved on, your body still remembers, and will do its absolute best to keep you safe from experiencing that again.
Here’s the thing though: your body isn’t being dramatic.
Your nervous system is running a sophisticated protection program based on real data from your lived experiences. It doesn't matter if your brain knows you're "fine now" or that "it's not that serious." Your body operates on a different system entirely— one that prioritizes keeping you alive over keeping you comfortable.
So when you've been ignoring those signals of stress, tension, and overwhelm for weeks (or months), it all adds up. Until one day you completely lose it over dirty dishes in the sink and wonder why something so small tipped you over the edge.
Plot twist: it wasn't actually about the dishes.
It was about your nervous system finally hitting its limit and desperately trying to get your attention. Your body has been sending you increasingly urgent messages – the tight shoulders, the shallow breathing, the Sunday scaries, the 3 PM energy crash – and you've been powering through like a champion.
The solution isn't another "mindset hack."
It’s not a 15-step morning routine, committing to 75 Hard, or thinking your way into feeling better. Those approaches treat your body like an obstacle to overcome rather than a source of wisdom to partner with.
The actual way to reach your goals – whether that's hitting the gym consistently, adding that extra plate to your deadlift, or just not snapping at people over minor inconveniences—is to slow down, pay attention, and respond to what your body is actually asking for.
When your body learns that your goals and desires are safe, everything gets easier.
Suddenly, motivating yourself to work out after a long day doesn't feel like climbing Mount Everest. Your body stops fighting you on every decision because it trusts that you're actually listening to its input.
Your nervous system needs new data to work with.
Think of it like updating your phone's software. Your body is running on old programming that might have been necessary for survival at one point, but now it's just draining your battery and slowing everything down.
When you practice what I call "The Somatic Check-In" – actually pausing to notice what's happening in your body without immediately trying to fix it – you're literally giving your nervous system new information to work with. You're showing it that it's safe to feel things, safe to slow down, safe to need what you need.
Over time, this rewires your body's entire operating system. You'll stop losing your shit over small things. You'll build actual resilience instead of just white-knuckling your way through life. And you'll start making decisions from a place of alignment rather than anxiety.
This isn't about being zen all the time.
Some days the check-in is just acknowledging that you want to scream into a pillow and eat peanut butter with a spoon. That's valid data too. The goal isn't to feel good constantly – it's to stay connected to yourself whether you're grounded, anxious, tired, or wired.
I made a YouTube video breaking down exactly why somatic check-ins matter and the simple 3-step process I use with myself and my clients to figure out what your body actually wants instead of powering through and hoping for the best. You can literally do it along with me in real-time.
Because here's the truth: your body isn't the problem that needs to be solved. It's your most reliable source of information about what's actually happening and what you actually need.
