What Happens When You Finally Listen to Your Body

 



What Happens When You Finally Listen to Your Body

By Niki Gent

There’s a voice we’ve been taught to ignore.
It’s not loud. It doesn’t shout. It doesn’t use clever language.
But it’s always talking. Whispering, humming, sometimes screaming — through tight shoulders, shallow breathing, racing thoughts, clenched jaws, aching backs, insomnia.

It’s the voice of the body.
And most of us only start to hear it when it’s too late.

In my work, I sit with people every day who are exhausted, anxious, disconnected — from themselves, their work, their families. They talk about burnout, about hitting a wall, about losing motivation. And more often than not, they’ll say something like:

“I thought I was fine… until I wasn’t.”

The truth is, their body had been trying to tell them the truth for months — sometimes years. But we live in a culture that values output over embodiment. We’re told to keep going, keep working, keep coping, keep serving — even as our bodies quietly begin to unravel.

So what happens when you finally stop and listen?

🌡️ 1. You Discover the Truth Beneath the Story

Your body doesn’t lie. It knows when you’re unsafe, even if your mind justifies it.
It knows when you’re nearing the edge, even if your calendar says, “I can squeeze that in.”

Listening to your body might sound like:

  • “I notice I feel dread every time I walk into this building.”

  • “I feel nauseous after every meeting with that person.”

  • “I’ve had a headache every Sunday night for the last six months.”

That’s not random. That’s data.

🧠 2. You Learn to Interrupt the Autopilot

We get so used to surviving — especially in helping professions — that we forget to check if we’re thriving.
Listening to your body is the first step in changing the pattern.

You might realise:

  • You haven’t had a proper meal in two days

  • You’ve stopped feeling joy

  • You’re tired before the day begins

And from there, you can choose to intervene. Gently. Intentionally.

🧘‍♀️ 3. You Reclaim the Power of Regulation

When your body feels seen, it softens.
When you breathe deeply, your nervous system resets.
When you rest without guilt, your energy returns.

Listening to your body isn’t about self-indulgence. It’s about self-regulation — the foundation for emotional, cognitive, and relational stability.

Because the more regulated you are, the more present you can be for others.
You can’t co-regulate with someone in trauma if you’re disconnected from your own body.

💬 4. You Start Saying No (and Meaning It)

Your body will tell you when your “yes” is actually a “please don’t make me.”
When you start tuning in, you’ll notice the tightness in your chest after you overcommit.
The gut-drop when you agree to something out of guilt.
The fatigue that hits when you override your own needs for someone else’s comfort.

Listening to your body gives you clarity — and the courage to honour it.

🌿 5. You Begin to Heal

Trauma lives in the body. So does joy.
So does grief. So does wisdom.

When you stop treating your body like a machine — something to push harder, manage better, or silence with caffeine — you start treating it like a partner.
And that partnership is what creates the conditions for healing.

If you take one thing from this, let it be this:

Your body is not the problem. It’s the messenger.
If it’s tired, it’s telling you something.
If it’s in pain, it’s asking you to listen.
If it’s slowing you down, maybe you were never meant to live that fast.

You don’t have to wait for a crisis to start listening.
You can begin right now — with one deep breath, one stretch, one pause.
And you can thank your body — not for what it produces, but for how long it’s carried you while waiting to be heard.


About the Author,

Niki has worked in Child Protection, Family Law, Juvenile Justice and NDIS for over 20 years.  Having worked extensively with families, government departments, not for profits and privately owned large and small businesses, Niki understands the needs of families, the pressures of compliance, quality and sustainability, and the need to work smart, be resilient, and know who we work for and who we work with.



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