Tuning into the Subtle: Why Listening to Your Body Matters

I had just picked my friend's toddler up from pre-school. We were driving back to her house, listening to music, talking about what we were going to do next. 

She states with confidence, “My body says ‘no.’”

I love the way kids can be so honest, wise, and unfiltered. At four years old, she’s not worried about causing a scene or hurting someone’s feelings by asserting her needs. She’s direct, honest, and inspiringly self-aware.

I was amazed. It took me over 30 years to learn how to sense a “yes” versus a “no” in my body! Let alone asserting my needs and boundaries without fear. 

Learning to listen to the wisdom of our bodies is essential for leading, living, and working with intention. It enables us to forge a sustainable path in this overly complicated, demanding, and exhausting world that’s full of both possibilities and aimless rabbit holes. 

I’ve been reflecting more on the nuance of what that actually looks like in practice. And I realized: learning to listen to my body has meant identifying both the subtle and the not-so-subtle signals it sends me—and understanding how the two are connected.

When the Body Shouts: The Not-So-Subtle Signals

The not-so-subtle signs are hard to miss. They're the wake-up calls I can't ignore:

• An asthma attack that quite literally takes my breath away

• The kind of exhaustion that begs me to take a nap after a vigorous walk

• Throbbing tension headaches that make it hard to focus

• Dizzieness that makes me feel like I’m constantly spinning

• Unrenelenting brain fog that…(what was I doing?) derails my thinking 

When things get to that point, I have to stop. I don't have a choice. My body is demanding to be heard, loud and clear.

The Quiet Cues: Subtle Signals That Matter

But it’s the subtle signs that are trickier to catch—and so important to recognize before things escalate. They whisper rather than shout. Tuning into them has required practice, patience, and deepening self-awareness. 

These are things like:

• A slight dip in energy

• A little more tightness in my shoulders

• A racing mind that won’t slow down

• A subtle cramping in my gut

• A heavy sensation washing over me, like someone threw a weighted blanket over my head

Sometimes it's as simple as noticing my eyes are getting tired or that my hip flexors are tightening. When that happens, there’s a quiet inner thought that arises like a whisper - I should step away from the computer.

Micro Self-Care, Major Impact

When I catch those subtleties and act on them—go for a short walk, take a deep breath, stretch, drink some water, lay down for a micro-nap—I’m honoring my body’s wisdom before it has to shout to get my attention.

Listening to the subtle signs from my body is an invitation to practice micro self-care throughout the day. These little acts are like deposits into my well-being bank account. They help me keep showing up fully, contributing meaningfully, and giving generously without running myself into the ground.

What’s more, this body-awareness helps me be a better parent, leader, friend, partner and community member. That’s because our bodies tell us valuable information through sensations before we even form a thought. Our bodies help us identify when we’ve been triggered in a conversation or are dealing with a situation that demands expert support.

Listening to the subtle messages from my body, not only enables me to take better care of myself. It also gives me cues to more effectively problem solve in my relationships - be it my family, clients, or friends. All of which reduces my sense of stress and overwhelm in the long term - because individual and collective needs are met now rather than ballooning into bigger problems later.

Start Noticing

So here’s the invitation: get curious. What are your body’s subtle signs? Can you name them? Feel them? Begin to tend to them, even in small ways? 

Struggling to notice? Don’t worry, that’s totally normal. When we have habituated disassociating from our bodies, it can take time, intention and support to reconnect and notice the sensation. This is where mindfulness practices help. You might try a guided body scan from an app like Insight Timer. 

And remember to trust yourself. Oftentimes it’s doubt that gets in the way of noticing our body’s subtle sensations - “was there really a prickly feeling in my side or did I just imagine it?” This sense of distrust in ourselves is especially present for those of us who have been routinely dismissed, minimized or belittled when sharing our body observations with others in the past. 

So get curious and just name what you notice without judgment. Like you’re an observer of your own life, and your body is the instrument you’re using to measure things. 

Because when we listen early and often, we create more space for ease, vitality, and clarity in how we lead, live and work with others. And that, my friends, is where true fulfillment begins.

Are you tired of running in circles and ready to shift from surviving to thriving? I have space for a few new 1-1 coaching clients opening up. Reach out to schedule a 30 min phone call to explore this opportunity.