Listen to Your Body, Not Your Apple Watch

I’m going to admit this right out of the gate, the Apple watch was a TERRIBLE investment for me. Did I like the look and switching out the bands? Yes. Did I enjoy being able to make a call or answer a call from my wrist? Yes, and looking like Jane Bond. Did I like knowing my heart rate, my steps, reminders to breath, stand, check the chicken? Of course! 

So what was the problem, you may wonder. Let me tell you. I became OBSESSED with CLOSING MY RINGS. If you don’t have the watch, just to catch you up, There are 3 rings related to movement. 1 is are you standing enough throughout the day. (Sometimes I’d get the buzz that I had stood for 12 hours while SITTING. Not perfect.) The second is minutes of exercise- so if you set it to 30 minutes and do something active for 30 minutes, that one closes. And the third ring is calories burned. As it tracks your movement and heart-rate during exercise, those calories keep climbing. I believe the default is 500 calories, but as you hit that goal, at the end of the week, the watch recommends you increase the calories to say, 550. If you hit 550 all week, it recommends a new goal of 600. And there’s the RUB.

I got so much satisfaction out of closing those damn rings, increasing week after week, I’d tell myself I had failed if I missed a day. There was a streak tracker for closing all 3 rings everyday and, oy vey, I was WAY too concerned about beating my previous streak. 

The more I moved, the more the watch suggested I MOVE MORE. Vicious cycle. 

Andy and I were on day two of an amazing 10 day wedding vacation in the BVI’s and I accidentally dropped it and the face shattered into a thousand tiny pieces, and this my friends, is where my streak truly ended. The remainder of the trip, I realized I was so happy to be FREED FROM THE RINGS! 

The worst parts about having an Apple Watch for me was feeling bad about myself when I didn’t hit my goal for the day, AND it taught me to ignore my body rather than listen to it. If the goal was 650 calories for the day, but I had a super active day the day before, and my body needed rest, I’d see myself at 600 calories close to bedtime and choose to walk up and down our stairs until that ring was closed to keep the streak going. Man, that’s embarrassing to type!!

So how did I change from ring-worshipper to body-honor-er? Here are FIVE of the tips and techniques I used to make that shift.

1. Start with meditation. I cannot fully express all of the benefits and shifts that have happened in my mind, body, and spirit by starting a daily meditation practice. Guided app or just following my breath, it gets me connected to my body and out of my checklist. 

2. Do a body scan. My favorite time to do these are at bedtime as I’m drifting off, or first thing in the morning when I’m about to get out of bed. I simply start at the top of my head and notice what each and every body part is feeling in the moment. I sometimes visualize it like a super slow laser ray that scans down the front and back side of my body. I’m done when I reach the bottoms of my feet and toes.

3. Ask your body what it needs in the moment. So often we ignore hunger, thirst, restlessness, aches, fatigue, and so on. Checking in and asking it what it needs is key to staying connected.

4. RESPECT IT. I cannot emphasize this enough. Frequently as women, we are taught to push through pain, because we are amazing, and we can. Just because you go to BCB 4 times a week and it’s on your calendar, doesn’t mean you should still go when your body tells your it’s completely weary from yesterday’s workout. Honor your body by respecting its wishes, and do something that will give it restoration.

5. Give your body thanks. Practice gratitude for all your body does for you. Thank your body for carrying you all day. Thank it for getting you through that tough workout or carrying you on that long hike. Thank it for cooking and enjoying food, for loving your husband and kids, for all its senses that allow you to enjoy the world.

There are more ways to honor and listen to your body. Also, check in with your thoughts and make sure you are speaking to yourself with kindness. Make sure you are incorporating things you love into your week. Find space for your body and mind to be creative. The more you honor and listen to your body and nourish it well, the more it will avoid illness, and take you on the journeys and adventures of your dreams.