‘Oh oh. That didn’t feel good’ I thought to myself as lugged my portable massage table inside from my car.
I’d just come back from the osteo and was heading straight into a student clinic massage session.
Typical me! I’d left no wriggle room between appointments and had to rattle my dags if I was going to start on time.
‘It’s nothing!’ I assured myself. ‘Keep moving and she’ll be right.'
Flying by the seat of my pants, I breezed through the massage and paid zero attention to the increasingly dull ache in my shoulder.
We were having long lost friends from the Hokianga come stay the night, so I launched myself straight into setting up the guest room, cleaning the whare, and prepping dinner. The afternoon passed in a flurry of non-stop, unconscious activity.
It wasn’t till I finally sat down to eat that the ache, which had now turned into a sharp pinch, could no longer be ignored. I knew it was serious when I couldn’t even raise my arms to do the dishes!
My body, which was sick of asking politely, had finally refused to participate. It staged an almighty protest, did a haka, and started calling the shots. What could I do but listen?
For a recovering workaholic and possibly ADHD person like yours truly, being forced to stop by my body is a humbling, and somewhat depressing experience.
The absolute worst thing anyone could have done in that situation, would be to ignore the body at their peril.
I was tempted, of course, to go to work the next day and smash out 6 long massages, but I just knew that would be the end of my shoulder as I knew it. My bank balance and my ego really wanted me to!
Instead, I submitted to the infinite wisdom of my body.
I rested. I saw a physio. I cancelled all massages for the weekend. And I made some changes to allow more time between sessions when I did go back.
Here’s the ngako: (Te reo Māori: (noun) essence, gist, fat, substance)
When we push past the warning signs of our body to rest, our body will force us to listen.
Sometimes it does this through sheer exhaustion.
The latest research into burnout by Professor Jarrod Haar (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Mahuta) from April 2024 shows a whopping 57% of the workforce in Aotearoa NZ are at high risk of burning out, compared to just 25% in December 2023 (taken from a sample of 1000 workers triannually).
One in two of us is are at risk of burning out right now!
Take it from me, burnout is not a walk in the park, and it can set you back financially, physically, mentally and emotionally for years, depending on many factors. 6 years later, and I’m still not 100% out of the woods.
So that is why we must tune in to our bodies' innate wisdom, because it truly does know what’s best for us.
The next time you feel a little niggle in your throat, slow down. Sip some tea. Have an early night.
The next time you feel overwhelmed with tiredness, try to knock off early. Maybe even take a siesta.
The next time you feel the beginnings of a migraine, look for where you can reduce some workload.
Since my body forced me to rest, I’m pleased to say that my shoulder has made an incredible recovery. Because I listened to it, and didn’t just push thorough.
Where can you see that you have been ignoring the polite whisperings of your body?
Now is your chance to listen, while you still have a choice.
Mauri tū, mauri ora,
X Laura
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