Dear Body....

I offer my apologies to you for not always listening to the extremely clear messages that you send as a reminder to take care of you. Hate to say it but I don't always appreciate your way of communicating... sickness, aches, pains, headaches, etc.  I have to give it to you though, you are pretty consistent in letting me know when I make unhealthy choices and there is an obvious cause and effect.  Those reactions are specific to me and may not happen to everyone else, so because my husband can eat all the Rocky Road ice cream in the world and only feel a little sleepy afterwards, doesn't make it so for me.  The funny thing, well sad thing is that these are not just one time abuses that I put upon you, but happen over and over again.

Here are some of the recently heard messages...

• Through a nasty flu virus that lingered on for almost 6 weeks to wash hands more and to keep hands away from my face. 
• Many times you let me know that a cool down, whether it be stretching or foam rolling, is very important to reduce hammy tightness, back pain and other muscle soreness later. 
• When I drink a Thai Iced Coffee with heavy cream after staying away from dairy for a week, and get terrible headaches, body aches and fatigue within 20 minutes.  
• Let’s not forget the dry skin, chapped lips and extremely yellow-colored pee when I am not drinking enough water.  
• Or how about the times when I have one too many of my favorite beers and struggle with a bit of a headache the next day?  
• And who could forget the added pounds around the holidays when I overindulge in the mashed potatoes, pecan pie and way too many red and green M&M’s.  
• Oh and I owe you for the mental and physical fatigue that overwhelms me when I have stressed myself out with a to do list meant for a week while trying to complete in one day.

Let's try to stay positive though and not forget when I do something good for you such as...

• Getting up early for spin class and having a boost of energy to start my day. 
• A solid 7-8 hours of sleep and being alert, efficient and productive throughout the entire work day.
• On a Sunday morning when I just want to lay in bed for hours, I get myself up and go for a walk with my husband and dog Maddie.  
• Allowing myself just to sit and be still for 10 minutes now and then instead of trying to fill it with Facebook, email, TV, or other errands. 

Alright then, let us continue on this positive note and clearly establish how we can make the second list much longer than the first while at the same time decreasing the first.  I guess it starts with me, eh? Any significant change always does.

Here is my commitment to you... 

I commit to make a conscious effort to listen to your communication whether it be screaming at me with a headache or stomach pain, or those times that your voice is soft such as a mild fever or redness in my cheeks.  When I feel out of sorts, I will think back to what I was doing or eating before whether it be 20 minutes, couple hours, a day, few days and/or even a week or two. As soon as I identify what has caused me to be out of whack, I will write it down or vocalize to my husband or another support person so I have accountability for healthy changes in the future.  In turn, I will also pay attention to the rewarding messages I receive from you for making balanced choices such as good rest, meditation, exercising, etc.  There will be times that I will unfortunately repeat my unhealthy behaviors, but together we will continue to actively listen to one another and try to decrease those situations over time.  

Sincerely,

Me