💬 Thursday Thread: What were the signs you noticed when it was time to make a significant change?
There can be significant physical and mental signals that warn you when your life is off-track
"No matter how much you ignore what you want or what you need, that energy will find its way out,” Shannon Watts
On a recent episode of For the Love podcast with Jen Hatmaker, I shared how I came to find myself, at age 35, unhappily married, in a job I didn't love and generally overwhelmed and stressed out. I had the epiphany that I needed to change course after becoming engulfed in eczema from head to toe, and nothing could cure it. During an appointment with a specialist, who asked me earnestly about the stress I was under, I broke down and finally admitted to myself that my body was rebelling against the life I was living.
(You can hear me talk about this by clicking here and scrolling to 22:49.)
In the intervening years, I came to understand that I had to change my life if I wanted to truly heal. It’s fascinating that our physical bodies often know before our minds are able to catch up that something is really wrong—from anxiety to burnout to being unfulfilled.
👉 For today’s Thursday thread, here’s what I want to know:
How did your mind or body let you know it was time to make a change?
Are there any symptoms you’ve been seeing recently that might be the start of something larger?
Welcome to the Thursday Threads, a weekly chance for us to connect with one another in the comments. Join me and other readers as we navigate important discussions. And a note: a difference of opinion is always okay, being unkind to one another is not. Let’s keep these conversations respectful.
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Our bodies are so wise and we've been conditioned to ignore discomfort in a patriarchal society. Weight gain is my signal that I am not paying attention to those deeper needs. Truly caring for my own needs instead of sublimating to those old patterns are inspiring and empowering me to FIGHT rather than despair over these perilous times.
Crying in a bathroom stall. It was time to come out of the closet.