One thing I’ve noticed is how we (particularly men) tend to put off taking care of our health. Many of us have learnt to simply power through rather than pursuing actual medical advice. For me, last month was the first time I’ve seen a doctor in probably six years. In the last few days, I went for a long overdue health check-up .
I had forgotten the feeling of impending doom we often feel when sitting in the waiting room. The idea of being around lots of sick people can make us worry about what untold mysteries may ail us. It’s no wonder then that many of us associate health check-ups with negative emotions. It’s probably why we avoid them so much. ‘Ignorance is bliss’, so they say.
Unfortunately, many of the health issues we experience are often exacerbated by us ignoring the problem. At a logical level, I think most of us know that. And yet, we can avoid getting our health checked because it scares us.
This phenomenon is not only about health. I also spoke with someone this week who had been dreading the idea of attending an event for something they enjoy. Even though they have fun when they are there, they felt a sense of dread at the idea of having to go and meet new people. It’s an experience we can all relate to – I certainly can.
This feeling of dread is preventing us from doing many of the things we really want to: taking a leap into a new job, an exciting holiday or simply trying a new hobby we’ve always wanted to, but been too afraid to try. It nearly always is something that holds us back.
The great thing is that we don’t have to suffer from this idea of ‘dread’. When we can recognise that the thought of thinking something scary is what is causing the feeling, rather than the activity itself, we can completely change our relationship to the feeling.
Many of us feel nervous before starting an activity, say doing public speaking. We can feel our bodies tense and our palms start to sweat as we await getting called up. Yet when we are on stage, quite often we forget about all these feelings – we get in flow.
So the activity itself isn’t necessarily the thing that is causing the fear, it’s the thoughts. Our brain is on overdrive trying to scan threats to protect us, and it does not particularly like the unknown. So these activities are seen as dangerous, and our brain responds accordingly.
One thing that’s helped me massively has been shifting the relationship I have with my mind. There are many areas that the brain can be fantastic – delving into deep problems and finding a solution in an incredibly diverse set of scenarios. But what the brain is not so good at dealing with is uncertainty. Using the brain for these activities will leave us reactive, and often fall into paranoia, anxiety and doubt.
My invitation to you is reconnecting to a different part of you. This is often known as your ‘gut’, instinct or inner wisdom. It is a quieter voice that will give you a more measured, balanced response. Around the issue of health, deep down we know that it is important, but our mind may put off the decision because of fear.
Following this intuitive voice within me has generally been far more successful for the bigger things in life. It’s also meant that I’ve felt far less stressed around waiting or planning. I trust myself to know what is right for me. From this space, life is far easier.
What is your gut telling you?
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In November 2022, I released my book, Make Diversity Matter to You. This is to help you understand diversity better for yourself and make a meaningful impact. To purchase a copy, check this link here: https://linktr.ee/tahmidchowdhury
I am a coach and I work with individuals to have awesome and fulfilling lives by shifting their thinking. If you would like to explore what that could look like for you, message me on LinkedIn or email me at [email protected]. I am also open to queries on talks, webinars and podcasts.