WM Listen to Your Body's Cues for Food, Movement, and Rest

August 13, 2025

Summary
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Summary

Mindfulness: A Tool for Tuning into Your Body

Mindfulness is: “paying attention to your experience… (even if it’s different from someone else’s)

…in the present moment… (without worrying the past or future)
…with curiosity… (seeking information, not zoning out)
…without judgment.” (It’s not good or bad…it just…IS)

Benefits of Listening to Your Body

Feel Better, Healthily

For example, what if you feel tired?

If you’re out of tune with your body, you may automatically opt for energy-dense foods (e.g., pizza, mac and cheese), or skip a workout.
If you’re in tune with your body, you may notice that you need more sleep or you’re dehydrated or need some activity. You may go to bed earlier, take a walk, or drink water

Choices Are Easier

For example, “I want an iced mocha with whipped cream.”

When you’re disconnected, what you want can conflict with what you think you should do. You may feel that you should not have an iced mocha, but you want one. If you have one, you may feel guilty. If you don’t have one, you may feel deprived. That’s exhausting!
When you’re tuned into your body, what you want is more likely to align with what your body needs. You may notice that you’re thirsty, and that you want something cold. “Ice water will satisfy me and energize me.” There’s no conflict!

Sustainable Changes

Two Approaches to Well-being

Willpower & Control	Mindfulness & Compassion
Willpower and Rules	Mindfulness and Listening
External pressure	Internal desire
Guilt and self-judgment	Acceptance and self-compassion
“Should”	“Want to”
Control and restraint	Thoughtful actions for desired results
Burnout and backslide	Choices without conflict
Delayed responses to body	Early detection and response

Consider a Lot of Factors When Interpreting Your Body’s Signals!

Cues and Influences

Category	Examples
External Cues	Temperature, travel, sight, smell Friends, colleagues, advertisements
Internal Cues	What you feel (e.g., hunger, thirst, fatigue, energy, pain)
Science and Physiology	Medications, medical conditions Guidelines, doctor recommendations
Habits	Cleaning your plate, bedtime snack TV at night

Steps of Mindful Check-ins

Listen

All your senses

Notice with curiosity

Observe

Accept

Be honest and open

No judgement

Be present

Respond

Choose the most supportive action thoughtfully

Action may be unnecessary

Example of Using Your Senses (Listening During a Mindful Check-in)

Sensory Checklist

Sense	Observations
What do you see?	Walls, cars, trees, ants, sky, kids
What do you hear?	Traffic, train, birds, fan, voices, music
What do you feel?	Your seat, neck pain, a breeze, sweat
What do you smell?	Coffee, dinner, bleach, soap, neutral
What do you taste?	Lunch, beverage, toothpaste, nothing

Example of Using Your Senses While Eating Mindfully

Mindful Eating Sensory Checklist

Sense	Observations
I hear…	Music, cutlery, voices, dishes, chewing, traffic
I see…	People, dishes, food, artwork, glasses, tablecloth, walls
I smell…	Food, coffee, bread, salad dressing
I feel…	The floor, my seat, crunchy foods, cold beverages, hot soup
I taste…	Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, spicy

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Tune into Hunger Cues: What’s Causing This Feeling?

Hunger Cues and Actions

Cause	Hunger	Thirst	Cravings	Habit
You May Feel	Stomach growling, low energy, builds over time	Mild dehydration can mimic hunger cues, you sweated or didn’t drink much	For specific foods, signs of hunger aren’t there, nutritious foods aren’t appealing	Feeling emotions, time of day, nothing to do, not actually hungry, socializing
Possible Actions	Nutritious meal or snack Drink some water	Drink a hydrating beverage Drink a full glass of water	Savor a small portion of the craved food Find a satisfying substitute Address underlying emotions	Drink water or tea Engage in a different activity (call a friend, take a walk) Delay for 15-20 minutes to see if hunger passes

Tune into Fatigue Cues: What’s Causing This Feeling?

Identifying and Responding to Fatigue

Cause	Need for Sleep	Mental Fatigue	Slump	Dehydration
You May Feel	Heavy eyes, yawning, slowed thinking	Decision overload, stress, can’t focus	Sitting too long, missed a meal	Tired, headache, haven’t had enough to drink, late afternoon
Possible Actions	Nap Early bedtime	Take a walk Take a short break	Nutritious meal or snack Drink some water Stretch or walk around	Drink a hydrating beverage Drink a full glass of water

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Tune into Pain Cues: What’s Causing This Feeling?

Causes of Physical Discomfort

Cause	You May Feel	Possible Actions
Musculoskeletal	Sore muscles Tired muscles Muscle cramping	Easier workout or a day off Hydrate
Stress or Lack of Sleep	Low pain tolerance Tension headache Neck pain, tight or painful shoulders Sore eyes	Nap or early bedtime Practice stress-reduction techniques
Sitting/Posture	Stiffness Back or neck pain	Take active breaks Ask an expert about your posture
Other	Injury, illness Chronic pain Nutrient deficiencies	Talk to a healthcare provider Rest and be cautious