In somewhat of a continuation of yesterday’s post and my discussion of the hellish temperatures we have been enduring in Ontario as of late, I thought it might be worthwhile to chat about recognizing our bodies’ needs. As I stated in my post yesterday, working outdoors in the extreme heat we have been experiencing has caused me to feel quite literally ill, hence the topic of today’s post.
Working outside these past couple of days has essentially forced me to pay more attention to my body and its needs. That isn’t to say I’ve been neglecting caring for my body, because I try my best to, but I’ve certainly become more aware of what my body is asking for because I’ve been pushing myself doing physical labour in some pretty intense heat. And while we’re all aware of the significance of being in touch with our body and what it requires, I question how many of us could be doing a better job in this context.
I would argue that, as human beings, we have a tendency to ignore what our bodies are asking of us. If we are tired we typically keep going on with our day and don’t allot time for some extra sleep. If we are thirsty we may not drink something for a couple of hours. If we are hungry we might not ingest food until we have an opportunity to.
Obviously, sometimes we find ourselves pretty occupied and may not be able to address our physical needs as soon as we would like to. But, I really believe many of us push ourselves to a level of intensity that simply isn’t necessary, and in time, this practice could lead to consequential health issues.
We only get one body in our life, so why not invest in it and give it the care and attention it requires?
ontheedgeofeverything 