What Does It Feel Like to Be Well?

07/21/24 • 5 min

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Cara Bradley explores how recognizing moments of wellbeing helps counter our brain's negativity bias and strengthen mind-body communication.

Cara Bradley explores how recognizing moments of wellbeing helps counter our brain's negativity bias and strengthen mind-body communication.

Previous Episode

Back to Basics: Mind-Body Communication

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose touch with our bodies. We become so caught up in our to-do lists, the noise, and the constant barrage of news that we forget to check in with ourselves. Through my weekly podcast, Daily Whispers, I teach practical ways to reconnect with your body and make the necessary changes to feel centered and clear more often.

In my latest series on the show, we’re going back to basics by focusing on mind-body communication. It's an elementary concept, yet simplicity is often overlooked. As I shared in the first episode of this series, your body speaks to you through sensations—hunger, thirst, fatigue, and tension. These sensations are your body’s updates, its triggers, warnings, and notifications, and it’s crucial to listen to them.

The Habit of Ignoring Our Bodies

But we forget to listen. We all do.

We often neglect our bodies until something goes wrong, and then we wonder why we’re lacking energy or feeling unfocused. In my last episode, I discussed the importance of remembering to stop and pause to tune into what your body is telling you. It’s about recognizing and responding to your needs moment by moment, hour by hour.

Small Shifts, Big Changes

By checking in with ourselves and listening to these simple sensations, we can make small shifts (such as eating, drinking, resting, and pausing) that bring us back to a state of balance and stability. This simple mindfulness practice helps build our capacity not only to recognize discomfort but also to understand how our bodies feel when they are well—balanced, satisfied, present, and calm. (More on that in the coming weeks.)

Many of my coaching clients have shared that these basic tools and reminders are essential.

Again, we forget to listen to our bodies. We all do.

Start Listening Today

So, I encourage you to start listening to your body’s messages, urges, and notifications. Sometimes, they may even show up as whispers. Ask yourself for updates. Take note of what your body is telling you. Make small shifts as necessary to return to a feeling of stability or balance.

Over time, you’ll build the mental muscle to listen and shift, listen and shift throughout the day. You’ll also build trust in your body to let you know when you’re slightly off and what you need to do to feel more centered, calm, and clear.

Basic or not, listening to our bodies is necessary.

Give it a try and let me know what happens.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carabradley.substack.com/subscribe

Next Episode

What Does It Feel Like to Be Well?

Welcome to a new series on the mind-body connection from Daily Whispers.

Wellbeing, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is a state of being comfortable, healthy, and happy. In my experience, it feels like being strong, calm, and clear.

Sounds good, right?

The problem is that we are inclined to focus on negative states or what’s missing, making it difficult to recognize the positive state of mind and body known as wellbeing.

The Negativity Bias

It’s not our fault. Our brains are wired to go negative first, a survival technique called the negativity bias. This means we often focus on what's wrong rather than what's right. We get stuck in this mode, constantly looking for threats.

The negativity bias isn’t all negative. This sharp sense has kept us alive! The problem is that too much focus on the negative—on what’s wrong and what’s missing—can cause us to forget to appreciate what’s good and right.

Yes, our bodies give us updates when something is wrong or needed, such as thirst, hunger, rest, or safety. It’s crucial to read these signals and act accordingly.

However, it's equally important to recognize when we feel well, which involves learning to notice moments of health and happiness—a skill we haven't typically been taught.

Strengthening the Positivity Muscle

To counter the ever-present negativity bias, consider these questions:

To counter the ever-present negativity bias, consider these questions:

What does wellbeing feel like? Strong, calm, and clear does it for me.)

When do you feel most well? (Think about specific times such as mornings, evenings, weekends, or being outside.)

What activity, place, or person easily shifts you into a state of wellbeing? (Many people might say being at the beach, walking in the woods, cooking, or spending time with their dog.)

What daily practices help you shift from a negative to a positive state? (Try my guided body scan or loving-kindness practice to get started.)

Noticing these “well” moments, even if they are fleeting, helps us remember what it’s like to feel good.

This is how we consciously counter the negativity bias that always finds what's wrong and, instead, build mind-body positivity that recognizes what's right.

The great news is that we can stay attuned to our body's signals, alerting us when we’ve gone off balance, while also experiencing more positive moments of wellbeing when we feel strong, calm, and clear. Give it a try and notice the difference.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit carabradley.substack.com/subscribe