Listening to your body isn't just a cliche. It's a skill.
The better our ability to read our internal signals, the better our performance and decision making, as well as lower anxiety.
When there's a disconnection, the opposite occurs.
In running, the better you're able to sync internal signals of effort and fatigue, the better you are at pacing to maximize performance.
In stock traders, a better ability to read inner signals predicted profitability:
In everyday life, research suggests that a large difference between perceived and actual ability to listen to your body's inner signals predicts more anxiety
A dysfunction in this ability, called interoception, is linked to a slew of mental health issues:
The good news is it's trainable. If you're an endurance athlete, you know this. You've learned to distinguish what different sensations of pain and fatigue mean. What's normal, and what could mean injury or worse.
The same applies to our everyday life. Learn to listen.