Long before you realize you’re overwhelmed, your body already knows.

Before you admit you’re tired, your breath has already shortened.

Before you say, “I’m stressed.”
Your shoulders have already lifted toward your ears.
Your jaw has already tightened.
Your stomach has already braced itself.

Your body is the first responder.
To pressure. To fear.
To joy. To conflict.
To hope. To life.

Because of that.
Your body is the doorway back to yourself.

Most of us were never taught to listen from the inside.
We were taught to push through.
Stay strong.
Keep going despite what our body feels.
To ignore discomfort until it becomes unbearable.

The body keeps speaking.
Softly at first.
Then louder, until it's heard.

A heaviness in the chest.
A knot in the shoulder.
A buzzing in the mind.
A  sense of being “full” emotionally.
A numbness where feelings once were present.

These sensations aren’t the problem.
They are the message.