Trust Your Gut
Posted by Lindsay on Mar 17, 2021 in Health Blog | Comments Off on Trust Your Gut
We have all heard the sayings about trusting your gut and following your intuition. They are not only sayings, they are worth their weight in gold. So, why are so many of us afraid to trust our gut feelings? I’m guessing it’s because it is not easy, between social pressure, negative self talk and the need for other people’s approval.
-Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn’t lie
Oprah Winfrey
Let me tell you a story about a recent situation where I should have trusted my gut sooner. It was a Sunday night, very late and I awoke from sleeping with horrible pain in my back. I woke my husband and asked him to rub my back, which I decided that somehow I injured, maybe from getting old and turning wrong in my sleep or maybe from doing yoga the day prior. All I knew is I was in so much pain I was having trouble breathing. The next day was the same, and I went to the Chiropractor thinking she could fix my back. Over the next three days my pain got worse and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. A short walk from my bed to the bathroom made me feel like I just ran I marathon. I chalked it up to anxiety and my back injury. After four days I had a virtual doctor’s appointment and the doctor had me come in for a covid test and then sent me for a chest x-ray. By now I was starting to get a little worried. I got my covid test and then headed to the radiology office, who would not see me because I was awaiting covid results. I was just going to go home, but something inside me said go to another radiology office, which I did. Little did I know, trusting my gut to go to the other office was the smartest thing I had done in four days! My doctor called me five minutes after my X-ray and told me to head to the nearest hospital as my entire right lung had collapsed. I spent five days in the hospital with chest tube. I am now on the mend, but have done a lot of reflecting on the situation. I know if I didn’t listen to my gut feeling and waited any longer than I did, it could have really been life threatening.
I could tell you many stories where I second guessed my intuition, but this was the most serious. I happen to have a very calm husband and I am more the worrier and much higher stressed, We tend to balance each other. However, sometimes when he thinks things are not an issue and I do, it makes me really wrestle with whether or not to take action. We all have those people in our lives that will downplay what may or may not be going on. They are not wrong per say, they just deal with things differently.
When it comes to taking care of you, you are the one who is the most equipped to do so. When wrestling with a decision, your gut knows what you should do. Quiet your mind, and set aside what other people are telling you. Ignore social pressure and do not worry about what other people are going to think.
–Trust your gut, it knows what your head hasn’t figured out
Trusting your intuition means you will do a better job of taking care of you and your family. Our minds are very powerful and the negative self talk can really talk us out of making decisions that are in our best interest. Remember, you know what is best for you.
