The body speaks long before we’re ready to listen

May 28
4 min read

Years ago, when I worked at Roche, I kept getting tonsillitis and my skin was constantly breaking out with acne.

I also hated Sundays.

Because Sundays meant Monday was coming… and I had to go back to work.

On paper, I had everything I was supposed to want: A “good job.” A steady pay cheque. All the perks, including a company car, one of those early Nokia button phones, and opportunities to travel around New Zealand and overseas setting up clinical trials and attending conferences.

It all beautifully aligned with what I’d studied: a Master’s degree in Pharmacology.

But inside?

I felt like I was dying a slow, painful death.

My body already knew what my mind was too scared to admit:

I was on the wrong career path - and something needed to change.

One day, I called in sick and drove away for the weekend because I couldn’t bear the thought of walking back into work.

While I was driving, my manager rang and could hear from the background noise that I was in the car. Her tone immediately changed, and she started reprimanding me for taking leave.

And instead of feeling guilty, I felt rage.

Pure rage.

I remember thinking, I cannot do this anymore.

I wanted to pull the car over and resign right there on the spot. That scared me.

Because deep down, I realised my body had been trying to get my attention for a long time - and I’d ignored it.

The body often knows first

Looking back now, here’s what I know:

The body often recognises the truth long before the mind catches up.

But when you ignore the wisdom of your body…

When you say yes but mean no
When you keep pushing when you desperately need rest
When you stay loyal to a version of success that no longer fits
When you follow what society tells you you should do instead of what feels deeply right for you…

Your body starts sending signals.

Fatigue

Tension

GI issues

Headaches

Irritability

Dead-bone exhaustion

The Sunday Scaries that start on Saturday

Your body is the most sophisticated navigational system you own.

And this is what I’ve come to believe: those symptoms are not always the problem.

Sometimes, they ARE the message.

Your Body Doesn’t Speak in Words

Your body doesn’t have the luxury of being polite about it.

It can’t send you a nicely worded email saying: “Hey, just a heads up - this path isn’t for you.”

So instead it sends fatigue. Tension. That ache in your heart you can't explain. The Sunday night dread that starts on Saturday.

I ignored mine for months, and it nearly broke me.

But when I finally stopped and listened - not to what I thought I should want, but to what my body had been trying to communicate all along - everything started to shift.

That change didn’t happen overnight.

There wasn’t one dramatic moment where I suddenly had the entire roadmap for my future.

Instead, it started with honesty.

Admitting that despite how good my career looked from the outside, something inside me was deeply unhappy.

And from there, one small step at a time, I began finding my way back to myself.

What is your body trying to tell you?

One of the things I now see constantly in my work with mid-career women is this:

Many people don’t need more productivity hacks or better time management.

They need permission to listen to themselves again.

Especially women.

Women who have spent years being responsible. Capable. High-achieving. Needed by everyone else.

Women who have become so disconnected from their own inner compass that they no longer recognise the signals their body is sending them.

But the body keeps speaking anyway.

Quietly at first.

Then louder.

So let me ask you this honestly:

What has your body been trying to tell you lately?

And how long have you been pretending not to hear it?

Sometimes, simply acknowledging the truth is where everything begins.

If you want to share what’s been weighing on you, I’m here to listen. And sometimes, being listened to changes everything. If you’re ready to explore what your inner compass might be trying to tell you, book a Career Clarity Call.

Trust what your body is trying to tell you,

xo Liz

P.S. And if you’d like a proven framework to help guide you there, that’s exactly what my program Become Your Own Pathfinder was designed to do. Check it out here

P.P.S. - If you're feeling lost in your career, wondering what’s next, or questioning what truly lights you up, you’re not alone. I’ve been there, and I know how overwhelming it can feel.

That’s why I created Make Your Next Career Move Count—a free ebook to guide you through the exact process I used to find clarity and build a fulfilling career using the most effective path to career change:

✅ Soul Search – Uncover what truly matters to you

✅ Research – Explore possibilities that align with your interests, strengths and values

✅ Job Search – Take confident steps toward work that excites you