Deciphering Your Body's Messages: How physical symptoms can reflect hidden emotional truths

In our fast-paced lives, it's so easy to overlook the subtle and at times not-so-subtle signals our bodies send us. Whether it's a raging headache or a sore shoulder, our physical symptoms often have deeper emotional roots.

Joining the dots between our physical symptoms and emotional experiences can give us profound insights into what genuinely needs our attention in our lives and opens up the potential for deeper healing and transformation.

Physical Symptoms as Emotional Signals

Gabor Maté, in his book When the Body Says No, uses many case studies to explain how chronic stress and suppressed emotions can lead to physical symptoms. Our bodies use symptoms to signal unresolved emotional issues, as if waving a bright red flag so we do pay attention.

Our bodies are constantly communicating with us, but we more often than not override instead of heed its subtle messages. It’s interesting to consider a physical symptom could be pointing us to heal a deeper emotional wound we’ve been carrying and release the energy required in the body to hold it for us.

My teacher and mentor Tracey Stevens of The Healing Point in her Root Cause Practice Program teaches the body has a fascinating way of speaking to us symbolically via its symptoms. When we listen to the metaphors and the language we use around our symptoms, it can provide great insight for what’s unresolved or unspoken within us.

For example, a headache might signal a sense of pressure and overwhelm, while back pain may be connected to buried resentment, fear or feeling unsupported. Chronic pain may stem from long-held emotional trauma or stress. Please note it’s rarely as black and white as the above examples - as we’re each unique with our own history, background, trauma, culture, family systems, experiences and so much more.

The Impact of Inherited and Collective Trauma

My point is our symptoms are not random; they are our body’s way of letting us know something needs our attention. One of my teachers, Thomas Hübl, in Healing Collective Trauma explains our unresolved trauma can stem from personal, ancestral and collective sources, i.e. from major crises and events that affected whole societies that’s then passed down through generations, which can manifest as both physical and emotional issues in us.

This raises - for me - questions of legacy of what we pass onto future generations when we could lighten the load, which I’ll speak to another time.

So, how can we begin to decipher the language of our bodies?

To start uncovering the messages our body is sending, we need to develop a more attuned awareness of our physical sensations and emotional states. It can be helpful to regularly practice tuning into our bodies, dropping beneath our busy minds to become more familiar with navigating our inner states. Mindfulnesss, meditation and doing simple body scans can help increase awareness of the felt sense of your experience and the subtle signals your body gives you.

You may like to notice when and where symptoms appear and get curious about how they might relate to your emotional experiences. For example, if you wake in the middle of the night clenching your jaw, see if you can notice what’s weighing on your mind? What situation are you chewing over?

What are you trying to control, or to stop from happening? What are you afraid of?

Similarly, a heaviness in your chest when thinking about a particular situation might point to underlying sadness or grief.

Or you might notice your throat tightens or there’s an urge to clear your throat just as you’re about to say something important to someone, but find the words catch and remain unspoken.

Journalling is an excellent tool to track your symptoms and emotions, to see if you notice any patterns over time.

Self-Compassion

Learning to read your body’s cues takes time, and healing ultimately involves acceptance, letting go and lots of self-compassion. It’s not something we want to force, push or rush. Our bodies are so wise. I really encourage anyone wanting to do this deeper work to trust in the timing of what’s showing up for you.

If you’d like help deciphering the messages your body is giving you and strengthening this inner connection, you may be interested in booking in for a 1:1 Root Cause Session. Click on the link to find out more.