My back seizes, ‘breathe’ my mind says… I take a deep breath and, on the outbreath, gently soften the bracing and tensing in my muscles… the spasm lifts and movement returns, I sigh!
I started a new job today, part of the supply chain for the NHS. Twenty boxes to a pallet, one pallet every 5 mins, my brain says 1920 boxes in my 8-hour shift, my back says ow!
Strangely enough, I have never mentally felt 47 years old as many of my friends will testify! But my body does feel 47, if not older! I am lucky, it still mostly works, I take regular medication, nothing serious, I am very fortunate compared to many others. I have learned to listen though, when my body talks to me like this: hot bath, magnesium and an early night.
Sometimes it is my brain that must listen and take a break. I often get a dull ache in the area of my right shoulder bone. This can sometimes be accompanied by a tightening in the right trapezius. This is my stress signature. When I feel it, I stop and ponder, am I stressed? Am I doing too much?
Nine times out of ten, I am, but my brain is so blinkered in its ‘doing-mode’ that I cannot see that I am pushing myself too hard. This is my body’s way of telling me, often before I consciously know it. I back off, take a break and in doing so, regain my perspective. Then I can decide what needs to be done and what doesn’t, taking the stress out of the situation! Thank you, body, for letting me know.