Symptoms Are Not the Problem | Living Fully

We live in a world that teaches us to ignore what our body is saying.

Push through.

Ignore the signals.

Drink another coffee.

Keep going.

And for a while, it works.

Until it doesn’t.

In functional medicine and mind-body medicine, we see the body very differently.

The body is not broken.

It’s intelligent.

And it’s always communicating.

Long before symptoms become loud, the body whispers.

A subtle tension in the shoulders.

Digestive discomfort that comes and goes.

A sense of restlessness or fatigue that doesn’t quite make sense.

These whispers are not inconveniences. They are guidance.

There’s a well-known concept in mind-body medicine:

Biography becomes biology.

Our experiences, stress levels, emotional patterns, and lifestyle choices are not separate from the body. They shape it. The body holds the story.

When we don’t feel safe, seen, or rested, the nervous system stays in survival mode.

When the body stays in stress, healing is put on hold.

This is why listening matters.

Self-love isn’t about fixing yourself.

It’s about creating enough safety to hear what your body has been trying to say all along.

Sometimes listening looks like:

• choosing rest instead of pushing

• eating foods that calm rather than stimulating

• slowing down enough to notice sensations

• responding with kindness instead of judgment

When the body feels heard, it begins to soften.

When it softens, it can return to rest and digest.

And that’s where healing happens.

This week, I invite you to get curious.

What physical sensation do you notice right now that you might normally ignore?

When has your body tried to tell you something important?

What’s one way you could show your body more kindness today?

The whispers are already there.

You don’t need to do more.

You need to become more aware.

Symptoms are not the problem.

They are messengers.

Not something to silence,

but something to understand.

Every symptom carries information.

Every sensation is part of a conversation.

When you stop fighting the body and start creating safety instead, something shifts.

The nervous system softens.

The body moves out of survival.

Healing becomes possible again.

You don’t need to push for change.

You need to create safety and meet yourself with understanding.

And that is where healing begins.

With love,

Johanna