As a woman in my late 30's, I write this article to share my experience of my journey from ignoring to listening to my body signs. I hope the article helps you, if you haven't been listening to your body!

A year and a half ago, my body started whispering me signs. I ignored for months, maybe seven months. I used to feel tired all day, my body ached, my appetite was lost, I wasn't putting up any weight. My friends complemented how I looked thin and same after all these years! At times I would just go blank like a brain fog! I would forget more often than usual.

And all this time, I thought it was work and a little stress and I would get better over time. But it never got better. Does this sound familiar to you? So one day, that is after months, I had throat pain for a day. I went to an ENT consultant for a checkup and was asked to get an ultrasound done. Later, I was diagnosed with Papillary Carcinoma of Thyroid.

It was definitely disturbing to be diagnosed so! But I had to get over this and take control of my life! I realised, all this time, my body was whispering me signs, and I wasn't listening to it. It struck me the weight loss, the body ache, the tiredness and brain fog.

I am cured now. I got myself operated a few months later, and I am now conscious of my health, I have started listening to my body. Your work, events, major plans all can wait but not life, not your health!

Interestingly, the human body is made of on average 30 to 40 trillion cells.It's unique engineering crafted by nature makes it a marvelous and priceless machine for science to yet understand its full potential. It's fascinating how the human body communicates if something is wrong through signs – it could be a headache, weight loss, an upset stomach, fever. Do not ignore these signs if your body is telling you repeatedly! While not every sign and symptom lead to cancer, there could be other diseases that you can take control of and heal in time! Taking control of your health starts with listening to these signals first.

As I reflect on my journey, I realise that many of us lead busy lives, often prioritising work, family and social obligations over our own health. We tend to ignore our body signs as just part of life. In today's fast-paced world, we often feel the pressure to keep pushing forward while ignoring our health in the process.

But what I learned is that taking a step back to care for yourself can be the best gift that you can give yourself. I request you to self-reflect and notice if you are experiencing any signs that you may have ignored. Do not hesitate to seek help when needed.

Your body will recover once you start listening, but don't be late!