When your body feels off, your mind gets louder

I haven’t been very well this week.

Nothing dramatic - just a migraine brought on by a stiff neck and shoulder (apparently this is what getting older looks like). But it has reminded me of something: when my body feels off, my anxiety turns the volume up.

Every sensation feels bigger. Every thought feels more catastrophic.

I know I’m not the only one who notices this - when you’re ill, tired, run down, hormonal, in pain - your mind suddenly seems to see danger everywhere.

So this week’s small step isn’t about productivity or progress.

It’s this: When the anxious thoughts start tugging away at me, I’ve been saying quietly,

“Thanks for worrying about me. I know I’m not well. I’ll look at this when I’m feeling physically better.”

No arguing or ignoring.
No analysing.
Just postponing.

And then I bring my focus back to something physical and steady.

For me, that’s been using one of our sensory practices every day. Nothing long, just enough to focus my mind on something else for a few minutes.

Sometimes when you’re not well, getting by is the work.

If your anxiety feels louder this week, it might not mean anything is wrong. It might just mean your body needs extra patience and care.

Be gentle with yourself. Until next time,

Louise and Mark.

PS If you’d like something steady to focus on, the sensory practices are there for you. We’ve actually improved the volume on them this week - which reminded me how helpful I find them when I’m not at my best.

If you’ve downloaded Luma, you can go straight to your Sensory Practice menu here:

Try a sensory practice

If you haven’t, try it free for seven days on the App Store or Google Play.