Healthy Living DIY

Intuition is highly valued in the business world. Now this doesn't mean that top execs rely on intuition exclusively in their decision-making. We all know that's not the case. They do market research analyses, crunch numbers, track metrics, and digest their data.

And they use their inutition. They'll get a hunch, then check it out objectively. They'll use intuition to help them analyze and understand the data, then create a hard plan for working with it.

Intuition is scoffed at regularly. The loudest scoffers are often highly intuitive. They just don't want anyone else to know.

How can you put intuition to work for you in your healthy living program? I'll offer a few tips.

1. Check in with your body from time to time. See how things are going. A former bodywork client of mine came in for back pain. The therapy didn't seem to help much, which is typically a clue that something deeper is going on.

Turns out it was, but before we get to that, let's look at the message her intuition was sending. Each time she'd come in for an appointment, she'd tell me, "I just feel so tired!"

Following simple logic, I pointed out that she worked erratic hours and got very little sleep.

"It's not that," she responded. "I know what that feels like. This is different."

She was right. Turns out she had a major illness. The back pain was her primary symptom. But her intuition had already told her that something else was wrong.

2. Minimize stress by acting in accordance with what you know. You'd be surprised at how many people know exactly what they should be doing in life, but don't actually do it. They think about it, worry about it, stress themselves and everyone they know out about it. But they don't do it.

Often times, they make the choice not to act on their own wisdom thinking that they're doing the "right" thing. Making mom and dad happy, for example.

Now stop and think about this for a minute. Mom and Dad wanted you to be a stockbroker, a lawyer, a neurosurgon, or to take over the family business. Sure they did. But they also wanted you to be a happy, fulfilled, healthy, satisfied, and independent adult. So if your own ambition is starting a handyman business -- if that's going to make you happy & pay the bills -- then what's stopping you?

Nothing is worse for your stress level than lying to yourself about your life. And stress kills.

3. Test-drive your health care choices. I had a conversation with someone about this just today.

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of hearing physician and author Dr. Bernie Siegel deliver a keynote address at a conference. You may already know that Dr. Siegel works with exceptional cancer patients.

One of his main techniques in arriving at successful healing outcomes with his patients is helping them tap into their intuitive sense of what's right for their body. He does this mainly through art.

When a patient comes in, there may be several available options for their treatment - surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc. Dr. Siegel asks the patient to draw a picture of themself receiving the treatment regime that objectively makes the most sense. Then he explores the picture with the patient to confirm the treatment choice.

Sometimes, the patient confirms the choice -- for example showing the surgeon with wings of an angel cutting the bad parts out. Other times, the patient's intution shows that another option might be better.

Several years ago, I had a client come in for therapy. She'd been through chemotherapy previously, and something had gone wrong. She had severe motor impairments as a result.

And if she said this once, she said it a dozen times, "I knew I should have stopped before that last treatment. I knew my body had had enough." She knew, all right. She just didn't listen.

Are you beginning to see some possibilities here? I hope so. Tuning in to your inner voice of wisdom, and then acting consistently with what you know is one of your ultimate health resources.