Your Symptoms Are Communication: How to Understand What Your Body Is Telling You

Many women are taught to ignore their symptoms or push through them. Period pain is brushed off as “normal,” bloating is dismissed as “just something you live with,” and fatigue is explained away as “busyness.” Over time, this can create a disconnect between what your body is trying to communicate and what you have been told to tolerate.

But symptoms are not overreactions or signs of weakness. They are messages; a form of communication designed to help you understand what your body needs, long before a condition becomes more serious or disruptive.

When you start viewing your symptoms as information rather than annoyances, your whole approach to health shifts. This awareness allows you to make choices that support your wellbeing instead of working against it.

Symptoms Are Your Body’s Early Warning System

Your body is constantly working to maintain balance. When something changes, even slightly it sends signals so that you can take notice. These might show up as:

• heavier or irregular periods

• mood changes or irritability

• bloating or digestive discomfort

• sleep difficulties

• increased anxiety

• low energy

• brain fog

• skin changes

• reduced stress tolerance

None of these experiences are random. Each one reflects what is happening in your hormonal, digestive or nervous systems. When something feels “off,” your body is asking for attention, not judgement.

Why We Miss or Dismiss These Messages

Many women dismiss symptoms for understandable reasons:

1. They develop gradually

Slow changes are easy to ignore until they become disruptive. Hormone fluctuations in your 30s and 40s, for example, often start subtly.

2. You have been told your symptoms are normal

This happens most often with period pain, PMS, bloating, anxiety, perimenopause and fatigue.

3. You have adapted to feeling unwell

When symptoms linger for months or years, or come on gradually they start to feel like part of your personality instead of part of your physiology.

4. You are busy

Women often juggle multiple roles, leaving little time to pause and check in with the body.

5. You don’t know what the symptoms mean

Without context, symptoms feel confusing. With context, they become clarity.

What Your Symptoms May Be Trying to Tell You

Understanding your symptoms can help you identify which systems need support.

Hormones

Changes in cycles, mood, sleep, stress tolerance or energy often signal shifts in oestrogen, progesterone or cortisol. Perimenopause is especially known for increasing sensitivity to stress and physical changes, often making symptoms impossible to ignore.

Digestion & Microbiome Health

Bloating, irregular bowels, reflux, skin changes or brain fog often reflect microbiome imbalances, SIBO, inflammation, or stress-related digestive changes.

Nervous System & Stress Response

Feeling overwhelmed, wired-but-tired, anxious or unusually reactive suggests your HPA axis and nervous system need more support.

Nutrient Status

Fatigue, headaches, cramps, hair changes or restless sleep can point to low iron, magnesium or omega-3 intake, among others.

Inflammation

Joint discomfort, heavy periods, pelvic pain or new food sensitivities may indicate inflammation or immune involvement.

Your symptoms are data. They help pinpoint where to focus your attention.

Learning to Understand Your Body Is a Skill

Just like any language, learning to interpret your body's messages becomes easier once someone shows you how. When you understand why symptoms appear, you can:

• respond earlier

• make more informed health choices

• avoid unnecessary suffering

• reduce overwhelm & confusion

• feel more confident in your body

• prevent issues from worsening

• teach this skill to your kids

Most importantly, you move from feeling reactive to feeling proactive.

How Professional Guidance Helps You Interpret Your Body’s Signals

Naturopathic care provides the time, context and expertise to help you make sense of your symptoms and understand what they are pointing toward.

1. Connecting the dots

Longer consultations allow space to explore patterns between your hormones, digestion, stress, sleep and energy. This is where the insights happen.

2. Identifying underlying drivers

Functional testing, detailed case-taking and clinical experience help reveal the real causes behind your symptoms, not just the symptoms themselves.

3. Creating a personalised plan

Once we understand what your body is communicating, we can support it with nutrition, lifestyle changes, herbal medicine and targeted supplements that fit your life. You learn what works for you.

4. Reducing confusion

Instead of trying to interpret symptoms alone (or turning to conflicting online advice), you have a clear, professional lens guiding you.

5. Building confidence in your body

The more you understand your physiology, the more empowered you feel to make choices that genuinely support your wellbeing.

Learning to “read” your symptoms is one of the most powerful tools for long-term hormone and gut health.

When to Seek Support

It might be time to seek personalised guidance if you are experiencing:

• symptoms that have changed or worsened

• cycles that feel unpredictable

• daily bloating or digestive discomfort

• increased anxiety or stress sensitivity

• fatigue that doesn’t match your lifestyle

• feeling unlike yourself

• perimenopause symptoms that are impacting your quality of life

• you feel confused, unsure or would just like some guidance

You do not need to wait for things to become severe before asking for help. In fact, you don't need any symptoms at all if your goal is to plan proactively for a healthy future.

Ready to Understand What Your Body Is Communicating?

If you are feeling out of sync or unsure why your symptoms have changed, I can help you make sense of what is happening and guide you toward feeling more grounded, balanced and energised. I offer online naturopathic consultations Australia-wide from Albany, WA.

You can book a 1:1 consultation or learn more about my approach here.