You have deadlines to meet, responsibilities to fulfil and people depending on you. You tell yourself you will rest once everything is done. But what happens when your body has been asking for rest for days, and you keep postponing the conversation?
“ME: I will just push through.”
“MY BODY: Girl, NO!”
It sounds funny when presented as a meme. Yet, for many women, this exchange is part of everyday life.
You wake up feeling tired, make your morning tea, get the children ready, attend meetings, respond to messages, finish household responsibilities and continue working even when your body is signalling that it needs a break.
You tell yourself that you will slow down tomorrow.
Tomorrow becomes next week. Next week becomes next month.
And somewhere along the way, exhaustion starts feeling normal.
But how well are you listening to your body?
In this article, we will explore why we tend to push through physical exhaustion, what interoception has to do with body awareness, and how simple expressive arts exercises can help you reconnect with your body’s needs.
1. The habit of pushing through exhaustion
Think about the last time you felt physically exhausted but continued working anyway.
Perhaps you had a headache but decided to finish your presentation. You felt hungry but postponed lunch because you had another meeting. Your shoulders were tense, your eyes were tired and you desperately wanted to lie down, yet you continued scrolling through emails.
There is often an internal conversation behind these decisions:
- I will rest after finishing this task.
- There is too much work pending.
- Other people are depending on me.
- I cannot afford to slow down today.
- I will manage somehow.
These thoughts can become habitual.
For women managing professional responsibilities alongside caregiving and household expectations, the pressure can be particularly persistent. Their time is often divided between competing demands, leaving limited opportunities to recognise their own physical needs.
Over time, pushing through can become an automatic response to discomfort.
The difficulty arises when we begin treating physical exhaustion as an inconvenience that must be overcome rather than information that deserves attention.
What does pushing through look like in everyday life?
| What your body signals | How you respond |
|---|---|
| Persistent fatigue | Another cup of coffee |
| Hunger | I will eat after this meeting |
| Muscle tension | I will stretch later |
| Headache | I will finish this task first |
| Difficulty concentrating | I just need to work harder |
| Sleepiness | One more episode or one more email |
These responses may seem harmless individually. However, repeatedly neglecting basic needs can contribute to poor recovery, increased stress and reduced wellbeing.
Your body needs food, hydration, sleep and appropriate medical care. These needs cannot always be postponed without consequences.
2. Why do we keep ignoring our body’s signals?
There are several reasons why people continue working through physical discomfort.
A. Productivity becomes part of our identity
Many of us grow up receiving praise for being hardworking, dependable and productive.
Finishing tasks earns appreciation. Taking responsibility earns recognition. Being available earns trust.
Gradually, we can begin associating our personal value with how much we accomplish.
This creates an internal belief:
“If I stop, I am falling behind.”
Rest can then trigger guilt, even when the body is exhausted.
The pressure to remain productive can also be reinforced by workplace expectations, family responsibilities and social messages that celebrate constant availability.
B. We become accustomed to functioning under stress
When demanding routines continue for extended periods, exhaustion can start feeling familiar.
You may wake up tired and assume that this is simply how mornings are supposed to feel.
You may experience muscle tension throughout the day without recognising how much discomfort you are carrying.
This does not mean your body has stopped communicating. It means you may have become less attentive to its signals.
Chronic stress can affect sleep, concentration, mood and physical functioning. Persistent fatigue also deserves medical assessment, particularly when it affects daily life.
C. We confuse rest with laziness
Rest is often treated as something that must be earned.
You finish the work, complete the household responsibilities and attend to everybody else’s needs before allowing yourself to sit down.
This creates an endless cycle because there is rarely a point when every responsibility is permanently completed.
Rest is a basic requirement for physical recovery. It does not need to be justified through productivity.
D. We become disconnected from our internal sensations
This brings us to an important concept in neuroscience and counselling psychology: interoception.
3. What is interoception, and why does it matter?
Interoception refers to the nervous system’s ability to sense and process information about the body’s internal condition.
Think about the sensations you experience throughout the day:
- Your stomach feels empty when you need food.
- Your mouth feels dry when you need water.
- Your muscles feel tense after prolonged activity.
- Your heart beats faster during stress.
- Your body feels heavy when you are exhausted.
These internal signals provide information about your physiological state.
Interoception helps us recognise and interpret these signals, allowing us to respond to our body’s needs.
Where did the concept originate?
The term has an interesting scientific history.
British physiologist Charles Scott Sherrington introduced the term interoceptive in his 1906 work, The Integrative Action of the Nervous System.
His original description focused on sensory information originating within the body, particularly the internal organs.
Later, neuroscientist A. D. Craig published an influential paper in 2002 titled How Do You Feel? Interoception: The Sense of the Physiological Condition of the Body.
Craig helped develop a broader understanding of interoception, connecting internal bodily signals with subjective feelings and self-awareness.
Research has since expanded our understanding of how interoception relates to emotional experience, self-regulation and mental health.
How does interoception relate to everyday self-care?
Consider this example.
You are working on an important project. You have been sitting for three hours without a break.
Your shoulders feel tight, your eyes are strained and you are beginning to lose concentration.
There are two possible responses.
Response 1:
You ignore the discomfort, continue working and tell yourself that you can rest later.
Response 2:
You recognise the discomfort, pause and consider what your body needs. You might take a short break, drink water, eat something or adjust your posture.
The second response involves noticing bodily information and using it to guide your actions.
Developing body awareness can support this process.
However, interoception varies between individuals. Some people find internal sensations difficult to recognise, while others experience bodily sensations very intensely. Stress, health conditions and previous experiences can also influence how we interpret these signals.
The intention is to develop a more informed relationship with bodily sensations, without becoming anxious about every physical change.
4. Five signs that you may be pushing through too much
You do not need to reach complete exhaustion before considering whether your routine needs adjustment.
Here are some signs to pay attention to.
1. You regularly postpone meals and hydration
You know that you need food or water, yet you keep delaying it because something else seems more urgent.
2. You struggle to recognise when you need a break
You continue working until your concentration drops significantly or your body feels completely drained.
3. You feel guilty when resting
Even when you have completed your responsibilities, you struggle to relax because you feel that you should be doing something productive.
4. Your body frequently feels tense
You notice tight shoulders, a clenched jaw or persistent muscle tension during your working day.
5. You are constantly waiting for an opportunity to rest
You tell yourself that things will become easier after a particular deadline, project or family responsibility is completed.
If these experiences are affecting your daily functioning, consider reviewing your workload and seeking professional support where needed.
Persistent fatigue, pain, headaches or changes in sleep should not automatically be attributed to stress. A healthcare professional can help investigate possible medical causes.
5. An expressive arts therapy exercise: Map What Your Body Is Telling You
One way to develop body awareness is through visual expression.
Words can be difficult when we are trying to describe sensations that we have barely noticed. Drawing provides another way to explore these experiences.
This exercise uses a simple body outline to help you observe and represent physical sensations.
Activity: My Body, My Signals
Time required: 15–20 minutes
Materials required:
- A blank sheet of paper
- A pencil or black pen
- Coloured pencils, crayons or watercolours
- A comfortable space where you can work without interruption
Step 1: Draw your body outline
Draw a simple outline of a human body on your paper.
It does not need to be anatomically accurate. You can use a printed body outline if drawing feels difficult.
Step 2: Pause and observe
Take a comfortable seated position.
Bring your attention to your body without forcing yourself to experience anything in particular.
Ask yourself:
- Where am I experiencing tension?
- Which parts of my body feel relaxed?
- Am I feeling tired, hungry or thirsty?
- Is there any discomfort that I have been ignoring?
You can keep your eyes open throughout the exercise.
Step 3: Use colours to represent sensations
Choose colours that represent your experiences.
For example:
- Red: Areas where you notice tension or discomfort.
- Blue: Areas that feel relaxed or calm.
- Yellow: Areas where you notice restlessness.
- Green: Areas where you feel comfortable or at ease.
These colour associations are only suggestions. Choose your own meanings.
Mark the corresponding areas on your body outline.
Step 4: Give your sensations a voice
Look at your drawing and complete these sentences:
- My body feels…
- I have been ignoring…
- I need more…
- I would like to reduce…
- One thing I can change today is…
Write your responses around the body outline.
Step 5: Identify one practical response
Choose a manageable action based on what you have noticed.
For example:
- If you are hungry, plan a proper meal.
- If your shoulders feel tense, consider a gentle movement break.
- If you are exhausted, review your schedule and allow time for recovery.
- If you are experiencing persistent pain, seek appropriate medical advice.
Reflection:
What did you notice about your body that you had not consciously acknowledged before?
You can repeat this exercise periodically and observe whether your patterns change.
Important: This is a self-reflection exercise inspired by expressive arts practices. It is not a diagnostic tool or a substitute for professional art therapy or medical assessment. If focusing on bodily sensations feels uncomfortable, stop the exercise and return your attention to your surroundings.
6. Five practical ways to start listening to your body
You do not need to redesign your entire routine to begin responding more thoughtfully to physical needs.
Start by introducing small changes into your existing day.
A. Practise a body check-in
Set aside a minute during your working day to notice how you are feeling.
Ask yourself:
- How is my energy level?
- Am I physically comfortable?
- Have I eaten and had enough water?
- Do I need to pause?
You can do this before starting work, after lunch or before ending your day.
B. Schedule rest instead of waiting for exhaustion
If you have a demanding routine, add short breaks to your calendar.
A break does not have to involve an elaborate self-care routine. It could mean stepping away from your desk, sitting somewhere comfortable or taking time to eat without simultaneously responding to messages.
C. Learn to recognise your personal patterns
Notice what tends to happen before you become completely exhausted.
Do you experience headaches after long working hours? Do your shoulders become tense when you are under pressure? Do you become irritable when you have not eaten?
Recognising patterns can help you make adjustments earlier.
D. Challenge the guilt associated with rest
When you feel guilty about taking a break, consider the belief behind that feeling.
Ask yourself:
“Would I expect someone I care about to continue working when they are physically exhausted?”
You may find that you extend more understanding to other people than you allow yourself.
Practise offering yourself the same consideration.
E. Seek support when you need it
You do not have to manage persistent stress or exhaustion independently.
A counselling psychologist can help you explore the beliefs, expectations and emotional patterns that contribute to overworking.
A medical professional can assess persistent physical symptoms and help identify appropriate treatment.
Both forms of support can be relevant when physical and emotional wellbeing are affected.
7. products that can support your body-awareness practice
If you enjoy journalling, drawing or creative reflection, having a few accessible materials can make these practices easier to incorporate into your routine.
Here are some products you could consider adding to your self-care collection.
1. An adult guided wellness journal
A guided journal can provide prompts for recording your energy levels, daily experiences and self-care needs.
Look for journals that include space for free writing rather than relying entirely on productivity tracking.
2. A mixed-media sketchbook
A mixed-media sketchbook is useful for body mapping, colour exploration and expressive art exercises.
Look for paper that can accommodate coloured pencils, markers and light watercolour applications.
3. Watercolour pencils
Watercolour pencils allow you to create marks using dry colour and then experiment with water to change their appearance.
They can be useful for representing sensations through colour and texture.
4. A coloured pencil set
Coloured pencils are easy to use and require very little preparation.
They are particularly suitable for body mapping exercises where you want to mark different sensations using colours.
5. Mindfulness colouring book for adults
A mindfulness colouring book can provide a structured creative break during a demanding day.
Choose designs that you find comfortable and enjoyable rather than treating colouring as another task to complete.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this section may be affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products relevant to the activities discussed in this article.
8. Your body is your partner, not your employee
We spend a considerable part of our lives responding to external demands.
We answer emails, attend meetings, fulfil family responsibilities and work towards deadlines.
In the middle of all this, our internal needs can become secondary.
Yet your body is constantly providing information about your current state.
Learning to recognise these signals can help you make more informed decisions about rest, nourishment, movement and seeking support.
You do not have to wait until you are completely exhausted to take your needs seriously.
And you certainly do not receive extra points for ignoring your body’s limits.
So, the next time you hear yourself saying, “I will just push through”, pause for a moment.
Your body may have a different suggestion.
Girl, listen.
Watch the YouTube Short
Want to explore this idea in a quick, relatable video?
Watch my YouTube Short: “ME: I’ll just push through. MY BODY: Girl, NO!”
In this short video, I talk about why we tend to ignore physical exhaustion, how interoception relates to body awareness and why learning to recognise our body’s signals matters.
Watch, share it with someone who needs a reminder to pause, and subscribe to the EducateAble YouTube channel for more conversations about emotional wellbeing and self-awareness.
Explore more support from EducateAble
If you find yourself constantly prioritising responsibilities while struggling to recognise your own needs, professional support can help you explore these patterns.
Explore these resources:
- Explore EducateAble: Discover resources on emotional wellbeing, parenting and inclusive education.
- Book a counselling and support session: Explore available sessions for personalised guidance.
- Explore expressive arts therapy: Learn how creative expression can support emotional exploration and self-awareness.
You can also share your experience in the comments:
When was the last time you ignored your body’s signals because you had too much to do?
Your response may help another person recognise a pattern they have been experiencing too.
Take care of the body that carries you through every single day.
Namita Das
Counselling Psychologist | Expressive Arts Therapist
Founder, EducateAble
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