Mine Your Own Data Part 2: What to do?
By Erica Thorneburg, LMBT 00183, CEAS I
In Part 1 (https://medium.com/morelife/mine-your-own-data-part-1-explore-your-patterns-95c731510eb7), I invited you to experience a 7-day exercise to begin the process of tuning in to the information your body holds. You will develop your own questions and method for tapping into and using the data your body holds over time. Like any skill, practice makes perfect.
Consider the speed at which “personal commercials” meet you on your computer or smartphone today. Pattern recognition is dynamic and instantaneous. (I still find it curious that my phone anticipates where I am going depending on the day of the week and the time of day!) In a similar way, your body will begin to “push” information your way as you become more and more sensitive and attentive to your patterns.
“If you listen to your body when it whispers, you will never have to listen to it scream.”
- Author Unknown
So, what do I do with the information?
Mastering the ability to interpret the information can be a challenge. Why? Discerning the course of action to take often depends on your knowledge of the human body. Unless you work in healthcare, are an athlete, or a body worker, you may not have the historical physical benchmarks to reference beyond a high school anatomy-physiology class. No worries! The following tips will help you sort through and put to use the information your body is communicating.
3 ways to put your data to work…
- DISCOVERY- learn more about your body
I often recommend clients search on the internet what they are experiencing in their body. If you are a doctor, I’m sure you are cringing right now!! Put on the brakes!! I didn’t say self-diagnose! I merely suggest that you familiarize yourself with the area, muscle, or symptoms indicated by your inquiry. Proceed mindfully. Meaning, you are looking for any information that either confirms or denies your assumptions. Listen with care and do your best not to fall into the trap of hypochondria! You may even stumble onto questions you would not have had otherwise that could be useful in your conversations with personal trainers, fitness instructors or therapeutic professionals. Discovery is is an opportunity for expanding and deepening knowledge and awareness both generally and specifically.
For example, say you feel a grabbing sensation in your lower back after sitting for extended periods of time. It can take a minute to transition from sitting to standing. You could search, “lower back pain” or “lower back pain after sitting”. Review the headlines that emerge, click on at least three different sources. This process will serve as a little insurance you gain a wider scope of information to get a sense of what “parts” of your whole body may be playing a role in what you are experiencing…that’s it. Resist jumping to conclusions for now, just read, explore, and listen…
When the mind and body connect with intention, something amazing happens — IF WE ARE LISTENING — intuition will kick into gear and you will hear a “prompt” to continue in some direction — follow it.
For useful, basic information on the human body, go to:
http://www.brighthub.com/science/medical/articles/111342.aspx; http://www.beltina.org/the-musculoskeletal-system-functions-diseases.html
2. QUANTIFY- discern the level of intervention necessary to restore balance
When you have quenched your curiosities, characterize the intensity of your particular circumstance. Here are a few tips on how to measure your state:
a. A sign you are just stressed or tense is that the “symptom(s)” disappears rather quickly with proper rest, adequate hydration and gentle movement.
b. If “it” is a nuisance, you notice regularly, during or after an activity, but it doesn’t keep you from doing what you love or have to do, chances are it is what I refer to as discomfort. There are varying degrees of discomfort, but that’s another article! The good news is you may be in the place just before you fully develop a condition that is more chronic in nature. Now is your opportunity to be proactive and preventive.
c. If you are experiencing pain, it will keep you from doing something you love to do. It may even interfere with work or social activities. When in pain, the wisest action is “no action” and reach out to a professional as soon as possible. Many times if we can relieve a symptom or two, we avoid seeking a full solution. This can lead to long term, irreversible damage. The sooner you seek a scientific and medically sound diagnosis, the sooner you will be on the mend and preventing further injury.
For more perspectives on the difference between pain and discomfort, go to:
3. SELF-REGULATION- take charge
A few simple, self-corrective exercises can be added to your life whenever and wherever possible, if you find you are stressed, tense or in discomfort. I do recommend regular practice. These are skills to cultivate NOT acquire.
a. Let go
Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to meditate! Although, that would be a lovely thing to do. Try some breathing exercises instead. They will help you shift your focus away from the source of stress, provide your body with much needed additional oxygen, and encourage internal relaxation.
Check out these sources to get started…
b. Counterbalance
Do the OPPOSITE ACTION of whatever repetitive movements you are doing. You have probably experienced this unconsciously on some level. You know the feeling you get when you’ve been sitting in one position for a while and suddenly you just shift your body to a new position? I refer to this as our body’s “auto-correct” mechanism…just a little proof that the body is always seeking comfort and balance…even without our conscious participation!
The idea of counterbalance, however, is more conscious in nature. It requires action on your part. For instance, taking micro-breaks; walking to the water fountain or going to discuss an issue with a teammate rather than sending an email is a counterbalance to sitting.
Another way to think about counterbalance…if you spend much of your day working with your hands in front of the body (Sagital plane), many of the muscles in your “front body” are tight and overused, while the muscles in your “back body” are overstretched and often, weakened by daily repetitious movement patterns. The solution here is to “open” the front, or stretch the muscles in the “front body” and strengthen, or flex (squeeze)the muscles of the “back body”. This action restores balance to the musculoskeletal system. To better understand the planes of the body and how we move…
c. Contact a Professional
If you have discovered you are in need of a professional, take on making yourself an appointment…SOONER THAN LATER!
Remember, you know so much more about YOU than any doctor or health practitioner. As a matter of fact, you can use the information your body has provided you to enhance and expedite discussions and outcomes with your physician/healthcare provider. The more you can tell them about yourself and your patterns, the faster they are able to diagnose and prescribe a course of action. (PS, if your doctor doesn’t want to engage in this type of conversation with you…RUN don’t walk to ANOTHER DOCTOR!)
While it can be rewarding as a professional to facilitate relief, it is far more rewarding when a client shares how they found their own solution to a given issue or how they finally got that good night’s sleep as a result of making self-care a regular part of their lifestyle. Nurture the connection, practice daily and reap the rewards of mining your own data.
