Lane here — your resident sober biohacker. In this article, I’m sharing a bit of a cautionary tale. If you resonate with chasing big goals, sometimes too hard, pulling a little too much on the “go-getter” string, you’re in the right place. I’m a type A person… sometimes to the extremes.
Let me just say outright: Ending up in the ER was not on my vision board. I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to be in urgent care. I really don’t want to have a health crisis. But… yesterday, there I was. Why? Because I ignored my intuition — I had a little tickle in my throat, something felt off, but the “push past your limits” voice was louder.
Now, I call this voice my addiction. And, oh, it’s crafty — it shows up in a thousand disguises. It’s the voice that urges just one more rep, one more goal, one more anything. Honestly, it’s the beast I face every day. My own personal Godzilla, except mine currently lives at the gym and likes energy drinks, not skyscrapers.
How do I usually handle it? I use what I call God — maybe you’d say intuition, universe, higher self, pick your favorite. This force helps me ground down, meditate, pause, and do all sorts of things I’m not naturally wired to do (like… not going all out at the gym when I’m already feeling off).
But yesterday, I didn’t listen. I went through the motions — had my Celsius, hopped on my bike, chased those endorphins. By halfway, I felt better — seduced by that false sense of “I’m fine.” Then I hit the weights, cranking up the intensity because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t fantasize about more muscle and less fat? (And, not gonna lie, a better-looking bum.)
Still, that little inner nag persisted: something was off. Did I listen? Nope. I kept going. And then, in a simple moment — throwing a 20-pound weighted ball up in the air… something I’d done a hundred times — something went sideways.
Suddenly, my heart rate spiked, my balance disappeared, my vision blurred. And for the first time, I had to sit down, literally and figuratively. Friends, let me say — our bodies can whisper, but when we ignore them long enough, they shout.
I couldn’t drive myself home. I was shaking, freezing. It was NOT pretty! I had to call my husband, I had to rely on another human being (not great at that). Made it home, went into a two-hour mediation to regulate my body. Then to my chiropractor, who convinced me to take it more seriously…
Urgent care. EKGs. CT scans. Nada. No clear answers. I kept thinking, “What if I’d just skipped the gym? What if I’d listened to myself?” All the test results in the world couldn’t answer what that inner voice already knew: I’d pushed too far, ignored the warning signals, and my body pulled the emergency brake.
There’s no pill for this. No magic peptide, no supplement. Just rest. Time. Stillness. (All the stuff I’m good at — and teach others — but not always listening to myself). Maybe perfection isn’t about doing the most, but about knowing when enough is enough. About listening. About honoring the soft voice within that says, “Hey, take a pause.”
So, I postponed my DNA cohort for a week — I’ll call it a “tactical extension,” because I couldn’t show up as my best self strung out and imbalanced. That’s not fair to anyone. I’m terribly disappointed, but I know in a week I’ll be balanced and better and perhaps this experience will change my motives, like my fall did a few years back, which led me to total optimization. Everything happens on time.
I want to invite you to reflect: Where are your blind spots? Where are you pushing so hard that you can’t even hear your own inner wisdom? Because, trust me, that’s where things can go quietly wrong.
Research backs me up here, thank goodness. Studies show that ignoring subtle bodily cues — interoceptive signals, as researchers call them — can lead to overtraining, burnout and even injuries (see: Balconi et al., Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2017). And the importance of rest in recovery and overall health? Well, as Smith et al. found in the Journal of Sports Sciences (2018), downtime isn’t laziness — it’s a non-negotiable for long-term growth.
Sometimes, the bravest thing isn’t to push through. It’s to sit down, cry if you have to (been there), and come home to yourself.
Let’s be real — none of us are perfect. If you need a sign to slow down, this is it.
Thank you for listening, for being a mirror to my own journey, and for giving yourself permission to pause, too.
Before I wrap up, here are a few reflective questions to ponder:
1. Can you recall a time when you ignored your intuition, and what was the result?
2. What are some subtle cues your body gives you that you frequently overlook?
3. Where might you need to pause and give yourself grace, even if your goals are calling you to “do more”?
Lane Kennedy is a DNA Functional Nutritionist, mindfulness teacher, and long-term recovery advocate. She’s dedicated to decoding the body’s blueprint and helping others live with more clarity, resilience, and purpose. Learn more at lanekennedy.com.
SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE at The Sober Curator is a monthly column by Lane Kennedy that explores the rich intersections of mindfulness, science, and spirituality. Each piece blends evidence-based practices with soulful reflection, offering tools to cultivate inner peace, self-awareness, and deeper connection. From meditation techniques to thought-provoking insights, Lane invites readers to expand their understanding and enrich their personal practice.
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