What Our Bodies Are Trying to Tell Us When We Get Sick

This week, I found myself curled up on the couch with a cold, after spending last weekend in bed with a migraine. My body has been sending me signals to slow down—and this time, I listened.

Our bodies are always communicating with us, but we aren’t always taught how to listen. And when we don’t listen, the body simply turns up the volume. A whisper of fatigue becomes a nagging headache. A headache becomes a full-blown cold. Eventually, the body finds a way to force us to pause.

Of course, illness has a biological cause: our immune system responding to viruses, bacteria, and environmental stressors. But there’s also a somatic story happening in the background. When we get sick, the body is often asking for more than just medication. It’s asking for rest, attention, and compassion.

What Illness Might Mean Somatically

Here are some of the messages our body may be communicating when we get sick:

• It’s time to pause. Illness is often the body’s way of demanding the break we refused to take.

• Boundaries are needed. Being sick naturally forces us to say no—to work, social obligations, even to our own perfectionism.

• Emotions need space. Stress, grief, and old wounds can show up in the body as lowered immunity or exhaustion. Illness can signal that something needs to be felt and released.

• Integration is happening. After major life changes—divorce, moving, job changes, or deep inner healing—illness can be the body’s way of processing and integrating.

• A reset is needed. Sometimes, illness is the body’s way of clearing out what no longer serves, so we can come back lighter and more aligned.

  
  

My Old Way vs. My New Way

For years, I treated illness as an inconvenience. I’d push through, load up on medication, and find ways to keep going. Advertisements often frame medicine as a way to “get back to work”—ignoring the fact that continuing on often delays true healing, and can even spread illness to others.

Now, I practice something different. When I get sick, I stop. I listen. I ask myself:

• What was happening in my life before I got sick?

• Was I overworking or skipping rest?

• Am I carrying more stress emotionally or mentally than I’ve acknowledged?

I sit with the discomfort of “falling behind” and I rest anyway.

The Motherhood Layer

As mothers—especially single mothers—this gets more complicated. We can’t always fully clock out. Our children may need care, or they may be sick themselves. It can feel unfair and overwhelming.

Here’s what I’ve learned: sometimes rest looks like adjusting expectations. Maybe it’s ordering takeout instead of cooking, putting on a movie to watch together, or telling my daughter, “Mommy doesn’t feel well, so we’re moving slower today.”

Even small changes—a little less, a little slower—can make a big difference.

The Invitation

Illness is not failure. It’s not weakness. It’s an invitation. It’s your body saying: Pay attention to me. I need your care.

So next time you feel that tickle in your throat or that ache in your body, instead of asking, How do I push through? try asking, What is my body trying to tell me?

You might be surprised by how much wisdom is waiting inside of you.

If you’re ready to feel more balanced, supported, and connected to yourself, I’d love to walk alongside you as you learn to listen to your body and reclaim your joy.

Click below to book a free consultation with me, and let’s explore what your body is trying to tell you and how you can honor it.

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