Scrolling through Instagram I came across a meme that said, “If you listen to your body when it whispers, you won’t ever have to hear it scream.”
As a registered nurse I can tell you this is really great advice. The big question is do you follow it?
When I talk to most people about their health status it’s a low key, quiet conversation but if I were to ask them about their car the conversation becomes more animated. So lets think about your car for a moment. Don’t you just hate it when you get in, start it up and one of those darn red warning lights comes on? You know the ones that indicate that the tire pressure is low, your rear light is out or that your oil needs changing soon which could lead to the big one, the check engine light.
If you are like me, you pay attention to that red light. Why?
Because…
- You don’t want to get a flat tire (because the tire pressure is too low)
- You don’t want to get pulled over by a cop and given a ticket (because your light is out)
- You don’t want your engine to seize up (because you never changed the oil)
When you get in your car and that red light comes on it is a bit of an annoyance because it throws a wrench in your routine. You will have to take time to address the mechanical issue. But even though the red light is annoying, the red light is actually a good thing.
The red light is your car whispering to you: “Something is not right. Nothing bad is going to happen right this moment. But I am giving you adequate warning to do something about it soon so something really bad doesn’t happen in the not too distant future.”
When your body has those little pains that don’t go away, that is your body whispering to you. That is your body’s red light saying “Something is not right.”
What do you do with those whispers? Do you listen to them?
Do you find the whispers annoying? And put them aside? And rationalize along the following lines?
- I don’t have time to make an appointment with the doctor
- I don’t have time to stretch
- I don’t have enough money to eat healthier
- I have too many things to do
- It’s not really that painful
- If I just tape it before I run it will be fine
- And more often then not, I hate going to the doctor
Often you get away with not listening for a time. Maybe a long time. In fact, if you ignore the whispers long enough you stop even being able to hear them anymore. Until one day you have a bigger problem and your body screams. Alert, Alert...HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, DIABETES!
Those red flags are no longer gentle reminders. They are now trying desperately to get your attention screaming loudly. You take your car in to the shop, why don’t you take yourself to the doctor and get checked out? Why won’t you exercise? Why won’t you eat healthier? I am not saying that doctors have all the answers. They don’t. But listening to those whispers and getting things checked out early might just keep you from having to hear your body scream at you later. Don’t let those screams turn into full blown strokes, heart attacks or even death. Treat yourself as well as you treat your car and listen to the whispers. No Mess.
