Week 1: When Your Body Says NO!

This month, I’m exploring something I didn’t fully realise I was experiencing.
Not loud, obvious fear.
Not the kind you can easily name.
But something quieter… and more familiar.
A reaction in my body that happens before anything even begins.
A racing heart.
A tightening in my chest.
An urge to delay, avoid, or push through.
For a long time, I thought I was someone who didn’t experience anxiety in a physical way.
But what I’m beginning to understand is this:
I wasn’t free from it.
I was just moving past it quickly.
Overriding it.
Managing it.
Getting on with things.
This month, I’m doing something different.
Instead of pushing through or avoiding,
I’m learning to stay.
To notice what my body is doing.
To understand what it’s trying to protect me from.
And to gently reduce the gap between intention and action.
I’ll be exploring this through something very real for me right now—
learning to use a blood sugar monitor, and noticing the anticipatory anxiety that comes with it.
But this isn’t just about a health tool.
It’s about how we relate to:
discomfort
uncertainty
being seen
and the moments just before we step into something new
If this is something you recognise in yourself, you’re welcome to walk through it with me.
Gently.
Without pressure.
One step at a time.

Welcome to Authentic Living Coaching.
I’m Linda Codlin, Transformational Life Coach.
Welcome, my friends.

Week 1: When Your Body Says No
Understanding Anticipatory Anxiety

Honesty time:

There’s something I’ve been avoiding.
Not because it’s hard.
Not because it takes time.
Not even because it hurts that much.
But because when I think about doing it…
my heart starts racing.
My chest tightens.
I can feel it pounding.
And nothing has even happened yet.

The Moment I Noticed

This month, I committed to something simple:
Tracking my blood sugar to understand how my body responds to food.
I’ve known for a while that something feels off—
energy dips, highs, that subtle instability.
But when it came time to actually take a reading?
I didn’t.
Not because I forgot.
But because my body said no.
And not a quiet no.
A loud, physical, undeniable one.

I Thought I Was Someone Who “Didn’t Get Anxious”

For a long time, I believed I wasn’t someone who experienced anxiety in a physical way.
I was the one who:
– handled things
– got on with it
– pushed through
But what I’m beginning to understand is this:
– I didn’t not feel anxiety…
– I just didn’t stay with it.
– I moved past it quickly.
– I overrode it.
– I did the thing anyway.
And now, as I slow down and actually listen?
My body is speaking much louder.

What Is Anticipatory Anxiety?

It’s when your body reacts before anything has happened.
Before the conversation.
Before the action.
Before the moment even begins.
Your system is already preparing.
– Heart racing.
– Tension building.
– A strong pull to avoid.
And it can feel confusing, because logically:
“Nothing is wrong right now.”
But your body doesn’t respond to logic first.
It responds to perceived threat.

This Isn’t Just About a Monitor

As I sat with this, I realised:
This isn’t just about pricking my finger.
It’s about what that action represents:
• knowing something I’ve been avoiding
• feeling like I might have to change
• questioning how well I’ve been caring for myself
And deeper than that…
It’s about the pattern I’ve carried into other areas of my life.
Like:
• meeting new people
• being seen
• navigating conversations
That subtle internal pressure to:
– manage
– anticipate
– get it right

The Old Way vs The New Way

My old pattern looked like this:
Feel the discomfort → override it → do the thing → disconnect from my body
And it worked… until it didn’t.
Because over time, the body doesn’t stop speaking.
It just gets louder.

This month, I’m choosing something different:

Feel the discomfort → stay with it → take a smaller step → build safety

What I’m Practicing Instead

Not forcing.
Not avoiding.
Just noticing.
When my body reacts, I’m learning to say:

“My body is activated.”

Not:
• “I’m anxious”
• “Something’s wrong”
Just:
– something is happening in my system
And instead of pushing through, I’m asking:
“What would feel safe enough to do next?”
Sometimes that’s:
• just thinking about the thing
• just holding the device
• or doing nothing at all

A Different Kind of Progress

Progress this month doesn’t look like:
– doing everything perfectly
– pushing through fear
– fixing the problem quickly
It looks like:
– noticing sooner
– softening the response
– staying a little longer

For You

As you read this, I want to gently ask:
• Is there something your body reacts to before it even happens?
• Do you tend to avoid it… or push through it?
• What have you been telling yourself about that reaction?

This Week’s Gentle Practice

When you notice that feeling—
the racing heart, the tension, the urge to avoid—
Pause.
And simply name it:
“My body is activated.”
That’s it.
No fixing.
No analysing.
Just noticing.

Closing

You don’t need to rush this.
Your body isn’t working against you.
It’s trying to protect you.
This month, I’m learning how to meet that response with curiosity instead of control.
You’re welcome to walk that path with me.

oxo Linda

Next week, we’ll explore what’s underneath the reaction—
and what we believe will happen if we actually do the thing we’ve been avoiding.

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Share Your Reflection

You might like to take a few moments to notice what stood out to you as you read.
What are you becoming aware of in your body, your thoughts, or your responses?
You may find it helpful to gently observe this over the next few days — patterns often become clearer with time and awareness.
If it feels supportive, you’re invited to reflect a little more deeply here:

👉 Share your reflections (this opens a short reflection form)

If You’d Like to Explore This Further

If something in this stirred recognition, and you feel curious about understanding yourself more deeply, you’re warmly invited to take the next step.
I offer a free 30-minute introduction to coaching — a gentle, no-obligation space to meet, ask questions, and sense whether this work feels right for you.

👉Book a free 30-minute introduction

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This week has been about recognising the response.
Seeing it for what it is.
Noticing how often it appears, and how quickly we either override it or avoid it.
But awareness is only the beginning.
Because underneath that physical reaction, there’s usually something deeper:
A belief.
An expectation.
A quiet assumption about what will happen if we actually do the thing we’ve been avoiding.
Next week, I’ll be exploring what sits underneath the reaction—
and what we’re really afraid might happen.
Gently.
Honestly.
Without rushing to change it.