Body Awareness Helps You Understand Your Feelings

As a society, we place great emphasis on our thoughts and our rational qualities. Our body and emotions are often neglected. Fortunately, people today are more open to concepts like emotional intelligence. Nevertheless, many people still do not exercise body awareness daily.

What if our bodies were a direct reflection of our emotions? The body plays an important role in building emotions. Understanding this role helps us increase our body awareness and reduce emotional tension.

How do emotions affect the body’s attention?

Body and emotions go hand in hand. When one speaks, the other answers. Many scientific studies show the influence of emotions on pain and the physical body. The two are in constant communication with each other. In fact, studies show that physical pain and emotional pain activate similar areas of the brain.

For example, if you do not deal with anger or stress in the workplace, you could end up with jaw tension or muscle spasms . These are unexpressed emotions. They are stuck in your body waiting for you to release them. Since they cannot manifest themselves, they try to express themselves in some way. Often the term ends up being tension or physical discomfort.

In fact, your body is a map that helps you identify what you are feeling. You’ve probably noticed a lump in your throat at some point when you hide something from your partner. Or a stomach ache before a test. These are the body’s signals so you can express your feelings.

Observe your body – it has an emotional message for you

When we ignore our emotions, they turn into pain and physical suffering. What message is our body trying to send to us? Headache, difficulty breathing, fatigue or a lump in the stomach. Are any of these symptoms known to you? Even if we try to ignore them, the physical symptoms are still there. The more we ignore them, the more intense they become.

We often try to cover our pain or sensations with pills. These provide temporary relief, but they do not solve the problem. We just put a patch on an open wound. If we do not express them properly, our emotions will still be there. Would it not be better if we listened to the emotional message that our bodies communicate?

Imagine a guy working 15 hours a day. He is so stressed that he wakes up every morning with muscle spasms in his neck. Despite the pain, he takes a muscle-relaxing pill and continues to work. His body begs him to stop, lighten his load at work and rest. He needs to look at his body consciousness. Pay attention to your physical pain and you will see what your body needs. If you learn to control your emotions, you will also feel much more comfortable on a physical level.

“Take care of your body with firm fidelity. The soul must see only through these eyes, and if they are weak, the whole world is overshadowed. “

–Johann Wolfgang Goethe–

Every feeling is related to physical sensations in the body – therefore body awareness is important

Let’s take a closer look at the four basic emotions and the physical sensations they generate. I will also explain how to control one’s emotions so that they do not turn into severe physical pain.

Fear

This feeling warns us of possible dangers. It also helps us anticipate and protect ourselves from threats. On a physical level, fear is expressed by abdominal pain, body tension, rapid heartbeat, sweating, tightness of the chest, diarrhea, changes in appetite and insomnia (among others). These symptoms are not solely for fear, but they may accompany it. Sometimes this feeling limits us in a significant way.

If you have any of these symptoms, check with yourself. Is it fear or some other emotion that you are feeling? To manage fear, it is best to deal with it as it comes, rather than trying to avoid it. For example, if you need to make a presentation in a public place, you can use breathing and relaxation techniques to reduce fear and promote your body awareness.

Anger

Anger motivates us to act. It helps us defend our rights when we feel that injustice has taken place. The most common physical symptoms of anger are: bodily tension, rapid breathing, tension in the jaw, increase in body temperature, headache, etc.

These physical sensations may indicate frustration. You should learn to manage your anger proactively. We often suppress our anger, so it is important to learn to deal with it properly. For example, you are annoyed because your partner told you not to pick up your clothes. Instead of shouting or just not saying anything, wait until you are calm and explain how you feel.

Joy

Joy helps us build bonds with other people. It allows us to socialize and share our happiness with others. The physical symptoms of joy are the ones we all recognize. Smiles, a dilation in the chest, laughter, a feeling of lightness, etc. There are people who have trouble feeling this feeling and they do not know how to identify it.

Giving ourselves permission to enjoy the joys of life is healthy for our body and mind. If you are going through a hard time, you can still enjoy a day at the beach or your favorite movie.

Grief

This feeling helps us to face loss and grief. It draws us in and makes us reflect on the past and how things were. On a physical level, it expresses itself through tears, fluttering, tightness in the chest, holding your breath, loss of appetite, etc. We have all experienced these feelings at one time or another.

If you do not express your sadness, it can become a weight that is too heavy for the body to carry. If you do not cry or share your pain after the death of a loved one, your sadness can lead to physical pain.

Your body is smart and knows what you need

If you control your emotions in a healthy way, you will be able to hear and understand the messages that your body sends. You will identify the emotions associated with your physical symptoms and learn to control them so that they do not turn into unbearable physical pain . Remember that your body can help you know yourself better if you learn to interpret its hidden messages. If you understand the messages, you can give your body what it needs (rest, attention, exercise, etc.).

All you have to do is open your eyes to your physical side. If you do, it will become an important part of your life. Your body is smart and it knows what you need. If you take care of your body, you also take care of your emotions . Remember that you have to live with your body all your life. Being more aware of it and taking better account of it is worth it. If you take the time, you will improve your emotional intelligence, as well as your body awareness.