A Little Argument with My Body
When My Mind and Body Had a Conversation Worth Listening To
📍Da Nang, Vietnam
My mom says my body is trying to tell me something, that I need rest, that something is bothering me and I must address it, or it won't go away.
That's how we are in my family, witches.
She's annoying when she's right. I listen to her over the phone, rolling my eyes, tensing every patience muscle I have, knowing she's right.
But I know myself, and my body, and I know it's exactly like me – stubborn to the core. So if I lie down for a moment and ask it, "Yes, dear body, I'm all ears (deaf ones), what are you trying to tell me?" I know it won't cooperate because it wants to decide on its own when to share with me, it wants to move at its own pace.
So I stayed home today, despite the FOMO gnawing at me, because I'm in the coolest city in the world, and I'm staying between four walls. But it's okay, I'm resting.
Turns out I don't really know how to rest either, because what does 'doing nothing' even mean?
I'm sitting and reading on Substack, and then naturally I should share something, and I remembered there's this small thing I need to do so I already got up to my computer and spent the next few hours working on the blog, because it's both a blessing and a curse that I always have something to do.
In the evening I went out to eat pho soup and drink ginger tea, and yes, maybe also to see people. But at the hotel entrance I saw it was raining.
"Ha! Take that, cursed FOMO feeling!"
Great, at least I'm not missing anything. Luckily, there's a restaurant in the adjacent building, so I could execute my plan after just 3 steps in the rain.
I returned to my room and realized I'd been in front of screens all day, and naturally – on days like this at home – I found myself looking at screens that I usually limit my time with: Facebook and Instagram.
It was so jarring how suddenly I noticed how I felt after browsing these networks. Just like how you feel after eating something unhealthy – tastes good in the moment, but afterward your body isn't so happy.
This might be shooting myself in the foot, since I publish my content there, but I'm not generalizing that all content there is like that, just that one needs to be so careful. Like any unregulated space, you need to be very conscious about what you're putting into your mind.
Ads for things I don't need always pop up, designed to make me feel not good enough until I have them. Suddenly I realized that the feeling I get from scrolling Facebook is the same feeling I had when I used to watch the news every evening. It's terrible.
I once read an article about how news programs are the most watched because fear works on a certain part of our brain that simply becomes addicted to it, much more than any drug. We especially remember the bad things we hear, and in Israel, there's no shortage of those. The result is shattered souls, as if reality wasn't hard enough.
I went through this whole process while trying to heal, not sure yet from what, but clearly understanding that this is the last thing I need right now.
I immediately told myself, "Pay attention to what you're putting into your mind." That was the first step, which brought the real insight.
And now while writing, I remember understanding this at some point between wakefulness and sleep, like a dream you suddenly remember in the middle of the day – "Pay attention to what you're putting into your body."
In that moment, I saw the parallel. Two systems in the body, two ways I nourish myself. Two areas where I have choices – about what I let in. And it's interesting how in one area I've already made a change (limiting screen time), while in the other I'm still procrastinating.
I remembered that in a conversation with ChatGPT, I told it about my eating habits generally, and that I understand I need to make a change in my habits, but it's really difficult because I love unhealthy food.
I've met so many people lately who are all so fit, living with proper nutrition, taking care of their bodies. And here I am, continuing my ways, because I feel that unhealthy food is the cheaper option.
When I try to talk to myself logically and say that "paying for healthy food now is not paying the doctor later," I still don't convince myself.
Even when I tell myself that here in Southeast Asia healthy food is so cheap!
"Yes, but unhealthy food is even cheaper..."
This argument always ends with "when I have more money, then I'll invest in healthy food." And who knows better than me that this is a debunked excuse, because the moment you want to do something, you just do it. There will always be excuses.
There's something frustrating about understanding things intellectually but not being able to translate them into action. Just as I managed to understand the effect of social media on me and act accordingly, it's time to apply the same consistency to nutrition.
And now a few hours have passed since I wrote this post, and now it's clear as day to me. I've made a decision.
I'm starting to eat healthier. And no, that doesn't mean I'm completely giving up life's pleasures and starting to obsess over calories, it means I'll start by replacing one meal a day with a healthy meal. It means choosing the healthy options on the menu even though they cost a bit more. It means being aware.
It's interesting how what began as a "rest" day led me to insights about how I treat my body. Maybe that's exactly what my body was trying to tell me. That's it. Wish me luck.
Your support helps me to continue experiencing new worlds and sharing them with you through my words. Sometimes, a single cup of coffee can make a difference.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Who Am I? | The Journey Through Time | The Daily Journey