When your body says “enough” first.What early sign do you usually dismiss?
BY NOUSHA SALIMI · Oct.16.2026
When I talk to clients about listening to their body, I usually start with the bathroom, for real.
Think about that moment when you need to go, but everyone is talking. You don’t want to interrupt the conversation. Maybe someone is telling a story, or you’re in a meeting, or you’ve only just sat down.
So you stay seated. You shift a little. You cross your legs. You tell yourself you’ll go in a minute. You’ve noticed what your body is asking for. But getting up feels awkward, so you’re asking yourself to wait.
That’s where I like to start. With an ordinary moment we might not think much about.
You’ve noticed. What happens next?
When we talk about getting better at listening to the body, we can make it sound like we need to learn something complicated. But often you already know exactly what you need. You need the bathroom. You’re hungry. You’ve been sitting in the same position and want to move.
Then comes the conversation you have with yourself.
I’ll wait until they finish.
Let me get through this call.
It’s fine. I can do it later.
Sometimes you do need to wait. There are real reasons you can’t stop what you’re doing at that exact moment. But it’s worth noticing when waiting has become your usual answer, even when there’s room to do something else.
Could you get up? Could you ask for a moment? Could you take care of this before starting the next thing?
Start with “I’ll be right back”
If you need to go to the bathroom, and you can go, practise going.
“Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”
You don’t need a long explanation. You don’t need to wait for the conversation to end or for everyone else to get up. It might feel awkward. You can still get up.That’s the practice: noticing a need and giving yourself room to respond to it.
Something as ordinary as going to the bathroom can be a place to begin.
Have something with you
Hunger is another example I use.
You’re in a meeting. You’re with a client. You’re on a call that’s running longer than you expected. Or you’re driving and still have a while to go. You might not be able to stop for a meal. But is there something small you can do until you can?
Keep a snack in your bag. If there’s room for a break, ask for one. If you’re driving, find somewhere safe to park before getting something to eat.
You could say:
“Can we take a couple of minutes? I need to grab something to eat.”
Of course, that won’t be possible in every situation. The question is whether it’s possible in this one. Sometimes we’ve already decided we can’t ask, before we’ve even considered asking.
We’ve made some things normal
People drink water in meetings. They have coffee while they talk. We’re used to seeing it, so it rarely needs an explanation. But saying “I need a short break to have something to eat” can feel like a much bigger request.
Why does one feel so ordinary and the other feel like something we should apologise for?
In the situations I’m talking about, we haven’t made it common. So it feels awkward. But we can begin making room for it. We can ask for the break. We can say we’ll be right back. We can stop treating every small need as something that has to wait until everything else is finished.
Because there might be another call after this one. Another conversation. Another thing to do.
Ask one more question
When you notice something your body is asking for, try asking:
“What can I do about this now?”
You may be able to respond straight away. You may be able to do something small, like having a snack until you can sit down for a meal.
Or you may need to wait a little. If so, be specific with yourself: When this call ends, I’m going to eat before I start the next one.
There’s a difference between making a plan to respond and repeatedly telling yourself “later.” The point is to look at what’s actually possible, instead of automatically putting the need aside.
Pick one ordinary thing
You don’t need to spend the whole day checking every feeling in your body. Start with one thing you know you tend to put off.
Maybe you wait to go to the bathroom because you don’t want to leave the conversation. Maybe you keep working through hunger because you want to finish. Maybe you stay seated when you could stand up and move for a moment. Next time you notice it, pause before giving yourself the usual answer.
Can you respond a little sooner this time?
These small, ordinary moments give you somewhere to practice. Somewhere to notice what you need, hear what you tell yourself about it, and try a different response.
Now do a little review: what’s the most common thing you tend to put off when your body is asking you for it?
Start there.
If you’re looking for more support and curious on how working together can look like, email me directly: info@noushasalimi.com and let’s chat.
In gratitude,
Nousha