It’s true that the majority of the time we live inside our heads. That’s not necessarily bad; logic is a human feature that has helped our species to survive and evolve throughout the ages. It is also true, however, that there is another force that has equally contributed to our well-being, and that is our gut instinct.
Instinct is no metaphysical ‘joojoo’ and has nothing to do with a sixth sense. Instinct is in fact good connection with our bodies. The body is a wise and efficient machine and when we are in need or when we mentally or physically suffer, it is there to communicate with, warn and protect us. Those body signals are what we call gut instincts.
However, we have learned to be more ‘brainy,’ fighting with the turmoil inside our heads, and hence have grown distant from our instinct. It is that negligence of the body’s signals – or their misreading – that is the source of illnesses, stress, or even losing purpose and motivation in life. And it’s for this reason that it is worth re-establishing our relationship with our gut, and in some cases following that as our main lead instead of our racing thoughts.
Here are some key times when you should listen to your gut instincts:
1. Your health and well-being.
No doctor, no examination and no medical institution can know better if something is wrong with your body, than your body itself. If some health issue feels like it might require more attention, go and have it checked! Respectively, if something feels normal for you, regardless of what other people’s experience might say, treat it as such. Your body does know better!
Of course, instinct and logic are synergetic forces, and to make the best of a situation very often you have to apply both. So if others see a problem that does not seem to worry you, they might rightly insist you go and inform your doctor about it. Conversely, you shouldn’t fall in the trap of developing an anxiety with every little symptom your body may exhibit, believing there is something wrong with you. Having a good connection with the mind and body is the best lead for your well-being.
2. Your diet and nutrition.
The same principle applies for your diet. Dark chocolate or a green smoothie might be the healthy snack option, but sometimes your body might request a donut and that’s what you should go for. Your occasional indulgence in a donut might sound like a ‘bad habit,’ but it might actually work in reducing your stress levels and keep you motivated to stick to a healthy diet the rest of the time. When it comes to diet, developing a relationship of trust with your body is essential in order to be properly nourished, happy and fit. And constantly listening to your gut on what you really want/need is the way to go with it. Once again, be careful to apply some logic every now and again and make sure you don’t use your body’s signals as an excuse to live on comfort food.
3. Coming closer to your truth and making decisions.
The only right option is the one that makes you the happiest you you can be. And guess who is good at knowing what makes you happy. Exactly. You are! So if you are prone to being indecisive or if you are about to make some decisions – ranging from minor everyday ones to the life changing – and you don’t know the best way to go about them, your answer is to listen to what your gut has to say.
Stop giving that poor head a pain by overanalyzing and going through things again and again. Does your choice make you smile on the inside and out? Do you have butterflies in your stomach thinking about it? Then your body approves: go for it! Reason should be your protector during this process, but do make sure your gut instincts are your lead!
Featured photo credit: Girl with Bubble/ Viktor Hanacek via picjumbo.com
