How to Tune Into What Your Body Needs

Your body is extremely smart and intuitive, and can tell you exactly what it needs, if you 
know how to listen to it. But learning how to get cues from your body is the hard part. 
From when it is time to eat and what you are craving, to when you should get exercise 
or rest, these cues your body gives you are essential to living a healthier, more 
balanced and stress-free life. 

Here are some helpful tips for tuning in to your body and understanding what it needs 
and when.


Do a Quick Body Scan

A fast and effective way for tuning into your body and paying more attention to it is with 
a body scan. A body scan is simply a method of being mindful of each part of your body. 
You “Scan” your body by focusing on each body part at a time, and considering if you 
feel anything in that area. It’s amazing how much you don’t pay attention to unless 
you’re really focus on it. 


Separate What You FEEL From What You THINK

This is a very important difference to become more aware of if you want to be more 
intuitive and listen closer to what your body is telling you. It is really easy to think you’re 
hungry or craving something specific because you think you should be, but do you 
actually feel the hunger? Or is coming from your brain, instead of your body?

Starting a food tracker is a good place to start. Write down what you eat, why you chose 
that food, and how your body feels before, during, and after your meal. Over time, you 
will start noticing the signs your body gives you when you are hungry, just thirsty, or 
maybe bored or experiencing another emotion aside from real hunger.


Remain Internally Mindful

To be internally mindful is mindfulness not just of your environment of what is 
happening around you, but also to go inside and be mindful about your feelings, 
thoughts, and emotions. Many people can be mindful when they are eating a meal and 
considering how they feel, going for a walk to enjoy nature, or taking a shower and 
indulging in the hot water. But it’s more challenging to go deep within yourself and be 
mindful of your shadow side, the things about yourself you might not like to accept, or 
what you are truly thinking or feeling. 

When you can learn how to do this, you develop important intuitive skills not just about 
your mind, but your body as well. It is also a good idea to keep a journal for writing 
down these little mindful moments and how you feel during them.


Tune in to Your Breathing

Another way to tune in to your body is with breathwork. This is where you focus more on 
your breaths and how each of them feel, which helps you to also connect a little closer 
to your body’s signals. You don’t need to do elaborate breathwork where you are 
working on holding your breath for minutes at a time. Just simple breathing exercises 
work just as well for this. 

Sit quietly when you have at least 5-10 minutes alone without any distractions. Start 
with a couple minutes of just resting, then begin taking a deep breath, holding for a few 
seconds, being mindful during this breath, then releasing for a few seconds. Keep 
repeating this breathing exercise as you stay in a mindful state and really pay attention 
to how your body feels and moves with each inhale and exhale.


Add Gentle Movement to Your Life

If you want to be more connected to your body where you can listen to what it’s telling 
you, you need to actually move your body! Getting a little more exercise is a great way 
to start doing this. Don’t worry about following a specific workout program, unless you 
also have other health goals related to fitness. If you are only adding exercise to be 
more in tune with your body, then any form of movement will work just fine. 

This might include:

Yoga
Dancing
Fitness classes
Walking
Hiking
Swimming
Tai chi
Boxing

Do something fun that gets your body moving and creates that bond between your mind 
and your body.


Encourage Your Daydreams, Don’t Shy Away From Them

What you think about or imagine in your mind when there is no judgment or rules or 
restrictions can tell a lot about you. It helps you tune in more not just to your mind, but to 
your body as well, because you are able to take away all your preconceived notions and 
go inside your mind where the only one who can see what you see, is yourself. 

Allow yourself to daydream as much as you want, as you can often get signs that you 
would not have noticed otherwise.


