Like a Well-Oiled Human

Dear Reader,

Our bodies are kind of like machines. While it may sound like I’m praising humans for their efficiency or ability act logically, what I actually mean is that humans have problems, kind of like machines. If your computer is facing some sort of issue, you may receive an error message. Sometimes the error message will tell you what steps to take (like restart the program or update your system) to resolve the problem. Other times, we do not get a clear message from our computers, yet, we can usually guess what sorts of actions that we should take to correct the problem.

Lately, my body is acting like a 2013 MacBook Pro with a worn battery and out-of-date software. My work is really busy right now, which is taking a toll on me. If my body were a machine, there would be several alerts sounding. One alert would warn me that I was running on less than 20% battery and that I should consider sleep in the near very future. Another alert would inform me that I am wildly dehydrated and should seek water (not a caffeine-infused beverage) immediately.

Although I believe that humans can be complex creatures, at the same time, I feel that we are pretty simple. If we are tired, then we should rest. If our skin is dry, then we should moisturize. If we keep losing our phones, then we should stick to landlines (I kid!). But, of course, we are not machines and things are not that simple. Sometimes we must burn through our reserve energy, even if we are exhausted because we were cruelly awoken by a (false!!) fire alarm in the middle of the night (hypothetically of course…). We can’t just update ourselves like a computer system. Quick fixes are usually just reserved for the machines.

If your body is telling you that there is some sort of a problem, really listen to it. It is so much easier to fix problems when they are still little. If your laptop is unlucky enough to acquire a Trojan virus, you can stop the attack rather easily if you identify it before it infects your entire system. If you are a human starting to feel cold symptoms, then water, rest, and some antioxidants can greatly help yourself mitigate or even eliminate the virus. Even when you are stressed, your body deserves your attention. So the next time your are feeling a little off, make sure to take the time to understand your body’s “error message.”

Love,

Raven