Your Body Keeps Score Before Your Mind Does

The following is adapted from Chapter 3 of Intuitive Certainty

For years, I thought my recurring headaches, frequent sinus infections, and constant exhaustion were simply the price of ambition.

I was working long hours in a demanding environment, raising young children, and trying to hold everything together. Like many high achievers, I believed pushing through was a sign of strength. I ignored the tension in my shoulders, the knot in my stomach, and the fatigue that never seemed to lift.

What I didn't understand was that my body was sending me messages my mind refused to hear.

Stress isn't always harmful. In short bursts, it helps us respond to challenges and can even sharpen focus. But chronic stress is different. When our bodies remain in a constant state of alert, stress hormones such as cortisol stay elevated, weakening immunity, disrupting sleep, and straining nearly every system in the body.

Research shows that prolonged stress suppresses T-cell activity, making it harder for the body to defend itself against infections and illness. It also contributes to anxiety, depression, and burnout.

Looking back, my body wasn't failing me. It was trying to protect me.

Sometimes the symptoms we want to eliminate are actually signals inviting us to pay attention. The question isn't always, "How do I push through this?" Sometimes it's, "What is my body trying to tell me?"

What might your body be asking you to notice?