Because sometimes the best health and beauty advice is your own.

Today’s culture is oversaturated with media feeding us the do’s and don’ts of health and beauty. It seems like everyone is a health expert or beauty specialist, and has an opinion on what’s needed to look and feel our best.

Technology is a great tool that connects us with experts and provides the immediate answers we are often searching for when it comes to health and beauty. From our phones, we can easily search the top beauty trends, the at-home workout routines, and nutrition advice. However, have we grown too dependent on the voices of others that we’ve silenced the most important voice of all?

Our bodies are magnificent machines. When things aren’t functioning properly, it will typically tell us. There are physical signs and symptoms that alert us of basic needs like when we need food, water, or rest. The body gives off a whole bunch of signals. The trouble comes when the voices of others are louder than our body’s signals.

We hear it all the time: “Listen to your body.” But it can be easier said than done to truly hear and understand what our bodies may be telling us. The problem is that we often lean so heavily on the opinions and advice of others that it can become natural to ask others what is best for us before we ask ourselves the same question.

The problem is that we often lean so heavily on the opinions and advice of others that it can become natural to ask others what is best for us before we ask ourselves the same question.

 The longer we go on not listening to our bodies, the more difficult it will become to decipher what it’s telling us. If we are not regularly evaluating how we are feeling, we will continue to grow a disconnect from ourselves, leaving us ill-equipped to give ourselves what we really need.

 Because a lot of times we may believe that our bodies are telling us one thing, when we are actually misinterpreting the signals. We may believe that the extra dessert will satisfy our cravings, the extra hours spent working will make us more productive, or that skipping the nighttime skincare regimen will give us a more restful night’s sleep because we’ll be getting into bed quicker.

Paying attention to our bodies is one thing, but learning to take its feedback and apply it to our lives is another thing. It’s hard to break unhealthy habits and add better ones if we numb the voice within us that’s reminding us what we really need.

There are so many voices out there telling us what to do, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It can be helpful to read the latest tips on skincare, nutrition, and fitness. Take advantage of how technology allow us to instantly access all sorts of health and beauty tips.

But sometimes it’s OK to silence them so that you can allow space for your own voice to be heard, too. Because no one knows you better than you.