Humans are social beings — so much of our lives happen because we interact with each other. Part of these interactions involve a significant amount of time learning how to communicate with others and advocate for ourselves — something that by the time we’ve reached college, we are at least expected to continue practicing and becoming better at, even if we haven’t had many opportunities to do so prior to college. The College works to help us to improve our communication and advocacy skills through FYS, peer mentoring, APEX, networking, mock interviews and CV workshops that aim to make us better workers, activists and community members. In all of these discussions, however, these skills and discussions are disconnected from our own bodily experiences, furthering the idea of mind over body — two separate entities that are to be treated as such. For example, we say that one cares for the mind by going to class and the body by going to the gym. When we communicate, we are encouraged to do so by listening to our “rational” thoughts, interacting with each other via social interaction.
This emphasis on communication and interaction with other people but often without communication and frequently in direct opposition to our physical feelings (that are arguably deeply connected to our psychological experiences) really strikes me as detrimental. I frequently hear my peers talk about the ways in which they disregard physical feelings until they become too overwhelming to ignore — signs like concentration affected by lack of sleep or stomachaches brought on by feelings of anxiety or restlessness that occurs from not moving their bodies, that are pushed aside in the name of “being productive” or “pushing through.” And don’t get me wrong — I do these things too — and I recognize that histories of trauma and levels of ability play into one’s relationship with their body — but I do wonder about the ways we might be able to better communicate with our physical, psychological and emotional selves more consciously. This might include realizing that the mind over body mentality might not be as sustainable as we think. Perhaps the challenge is for us to think about how we interact with others and our selves, to consider how we might listen to what our bodies keep trying to tell us and perhaps make more conscious choices about how we respond to those experiences. In a world that commodifies disembodiment and capitalizes upon neoliberal notions of self care, I think that being in our bodies might be a radical act.
Hannah Lane-Davies, a Contributing Writer for the Voice, can be reached for comment at HaLane-Davies21@wooster.edu