When the body says no
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been learning how to listen to my body.
To notice.
To respond.
To respond with care.
And recently, to respond with curiosity.
This week, something became clearer.
Sometimes, the most supportive thing you can do …
is nothing at all.
When resistance shows up
This past week, I’ve been working as a background actor on a TV pilot.
The work has been fun. Interesting. A different rhythm.
But the schedule?
Long hours.
Erratic hours.
Overnight shoots.
Last week, I worked overnight twice.
Yesterday, I worked a 15-hour day from the time I left my house until the time I got home.
Tomorrow, I’ll do another overnight.
My body feels it.
The plan
Today was meant to be a reset day.
I caught up on my regular work.
I stretched.
Did yoga.
Completed my resistance training.
And I planned to go for a run in the afternoon.
The moment
When the time came, I got dressed.
T-shirt.
Shorts.
Running shoes.
And then …
I sat down.
And didn’t get back up.
The old story
At first, I thought:
I just need motivation.
After all, I had gotten eight hours of sleep the night before.
There was no “good reason” not to go.
This is where I used to push through.
Override.
Ignore.
Get it done.
The pause
But this time, I paused.
And I asked:
Hello body, what are you trying to tell me…?
Not what my mind was insisting.
Not what I thought I “should” do.
Just … listened.
What I heard
My body wasn’t being lazy.
It was tired.
Not just from yesterday …
But from the accumulation of long days, late nights, and a disrupted rhythm.
And it knew something else I hadn’t fully considered:
Tomorrow would demand even more.
Another overnight shoot.
More stress.
More energy.
What it needed …
was rest.
What changed
So I rested.
And something else became clear.
In shooting the same scenes over and over yesterday—walking down the street again and again—I had already done more cardio than I realized.
More than enough for one day.
Maybe even two.
Without calling it a workout …
I had already moved.
A different kind of discipline
The insight wasn’t about skipping a run.
It was about something deeper.
I don’t need to hit a target every day.
I need to understand what my body needs every day.
Some days, that’s movement.
Some days, it’s rest.
This week’s practice
Action: honor what’s enough
At some point today, pause and check in with your body.
Ask:
What would be enough for me today … with movement, effort, or rest?
Not the maximum.
Not what you planned.
Not what you think you “should” do.
Just … enough.
Then respond in a way that supports that answer.
If your body asks for less … try honoring that.
And if it asks for rest …
Let rest be enough.
Reflection
The body doesn’t measure success the way the mind does.
It doesn’t track streaks or chase more.
It knows when something is enough.
Consider this:
What changes when I trust that enough is enough?
Journal prompt
Choose one that resonates. Or explore all three:
Option 1
Where in my life am I doing more than enough … and why?
Option 2
How does my body let me know when something is enough?
Option 3
What makes it difficult for me to stop when my body has had enough?
Closing
You don’t have to push through every time.
You can listen.
And trust that your body knows when enough is enough.
Be well,
Jef
What You’ll Find Here
hello body … is a space for anyone learning to listen to and collaborate with their body in pursuit of better health, not perfect health.
I’m especially interested in helping readers cultivate calm, connection, movement, nourishment, and rest through small, sustainable changes that support a meaningful life.
Here, you will find:
• Weekly reflections grounded in lived experience
• Simple practices to support calm, connection, movement, nourishment, and rest
• Plain-language insights that make health and wellness more accessible
• Journal prompts and reflections to support awareness and compassionate change
• A warm, honest space where your body is treated as an ally, not a problem to solve
I am glad you are here.
Work With Me
I’m a Mayo Clinic Certified Wellness Coach, a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach, and a Martha Beck Certified Wayfinder Life Coach. I work with clients one-on-one who want to build a healthier relationship with their bodies and create sustainable change.
If you feel disconnected from your body, overwhelmed by conflicting health advice, or ready for a kinder approach to well-being, you do not have to figure it out alone.
You can learn more about coaching with me here:
Learn more about coaching with me
Explore My Other Substacks
If this space resonates with you, you may also enjoy my other writing:
Wayfinding for the Directionally Challenged
Reflections on navigating reinvention, identity, purpose, and the ongoing work of becoming fully yourself.
Find Yourself at Home
Crafting living spaces that nourish and support who you are and who you are becoming.
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