Why Self Awareness May Be More Powerful Than Any Fitness Fad

Thought For The Week

In the midst of busy schedules and constant distractions, it’s easy to lose touch with our own needs, rhythms, and our body’s signals. Yet feeling connected to ourselves—physically, mentally, and emotionally—is key to our well-being. Research shows that self-awareness and self-alignment are linked to lower stress, better decision-making, and greater resilience. Whether it’s through movement, reflection, or simply just paying more attention, making the most of those opportunities to tune in can help us strengthen our internal connection and deliver substantial health benefits.

Exercise Tip

When we exercise with attention and presence, we start to notice how our body feels from the inside out—where we’re tense, where we’re strong, how we’re breathing. This body awareness is part of proprioception, our nervous system’s ability to sense position, movement, and effort without the need for visual feedback. As we develop proprioception, we become more attuned to our physical state: We notice fatigue before it becomes burnout, tension before it becomes pain, and strength as it increases. In this way, movement becomes more than a means to an end—it becomes a practice of listening, learning, and building trust in ourselves.

Try this: Choose one movement (like a squat, lunge, or push-up) and perform it slower than usual. Focus on each phase—how your muscles feel, how your balance shifts, how your breath moves. Slowing down enhances proprioception and deepens your connection with yourself.

Nutrition Tip

Emerging research in nutrition and psychology highlights the importance of interoception—our ability to perceive internal bodily signals such as hunger, fullness, and satiety—in developing healthy eating behaviours. Studies show that deficits in interoception are linked not only to difficulties in regulating food intake but also to emotional eating and disordered eating patterns. But when we cultivate a greater awareness of these interoceptive cues, we can better regulate food intake. This mindful approach also helps us to identify how different foods affect our energy, mood, and overall well-being, benefiting our metabolism and gut health in the process, too. In other words, with greater interoception, we’re able to respond to our body's needs with greater precision and care.

Try this: Before eating, pause and rate your hunger on a scale from 1 (not hungry at all) to 10 (absolutely ravenous). Aim to eat when you’re moderately hungry (a 4-5 on the scale), and try to stop when you’re comfortably satisfied (a 7-8), rather than overly full.

Links & Resources

Resource: Occupational therapist Kelly Mahler provides a deeper exploration of interoceptive awareness and offers practical strategies to connect more deeply with bodily sensations.

Scientific paper: A recent study that highlights the relationship between deficits in interoception and increased emotional eating and higher BMI.

Recipe: Try my recipe for roasted butternut squash and kale salad, and practice eating it slowly and mindfully.

Inspirational Quote

“Mindful eating means simply eating with awareness. Be present with your food, your body, and your mind.”

Thich Nhat Hanh