I attended an assembly at my almost 6 year old daughter’s school this past week. I was so proud of her because she received the award for exhibiting integrity (“to live an honest life”). It was so cute to watch her be called up, given a certificate, and smile while the parents in the room clapped for her (and while I took way too many pictures!).

During supper that evening, we were talking about the assembly as a family. My daughter, who tends to be quite verbally descriptive, says “Mom, when I was called up, why was my heart beating so fast? I was feeling so warm inside—why was that?” Hearing her say this really struck me—she had been experiencing, during the moments she was called up during the assembly, the physical signs of nervousness, excitement, and anxiety—all at once—and she didn’t even realize she was feeling this way. She just knew what was going on in her body and she was searching for this connection.

Children tend to be very aware of what their bodies are telling them, even if developmentally they are not able to translate these physical signs into feelings, being the concrete little thinkers that they are (prime example being children often have stomachaches when they are upset or anxious).

There are so many things I learn from my children and this example is another reminder that even as adults, our bodies can be trying to tell us something about how we are doing emotionally. I hear people’s experiences that display this often—for example, I have a client who experienced a severe skin reaction due to stress in her life. I’m thankful her doctor who treated her helped her in making this connection. It is also common for people to hold stress or tension in certain parts of their body— muscle spasms, hives, headaches, stomachaches, even teeth grinding, can be signals that something deeper is going on emotionally. With this in mind, I want to encourage you to listen to what your body might be trying to tell you—and sometimes to in order to listen, it takes some slowing down and tuning in.

For more information on behavioral health issues, or to seek assistance, to go www.pinerest.org

Photo courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/persnicketpress/2566274249/