The 8th Sense: Understanding Interoception

So many new students struggle to understand interoception and its importance. So, I'm going to give you my little life lessons on interoception and how I have tuned into our 8th sense.

What is interception and why so important to optimal health?

Interoception is often called the "8th sense" because it gives us unique insights into what’s happening inside our body, much like the traditional five senses tell us about the outside world. Think of it as the body’s internal "radar" system, constantly scanning and alerting us to subtle signals from within.

These signals concern our hunger, thirst, temperature, heartbeat, pain, and even emotions.

This "8th sense" helps us understand whether we need to eat, drink, rest, or move. It also plays a crucial role in emotions and self-regulation by helping us notice what stress, excitement, or relaxation feels like. While proprioception helps us know where our body parts are in space, interoception tells us how they feel.

I struggle, have struggled, and sometimes still struggle with interoception — it became “another thing I have to add to my list of neuro checks” sensing my body’s inner world, things like thirst, hunger, or emotions.

You’d think I’d have some built-in radar for these cues, but no. It’s more like I’ve got a faulty bat signal, sending mixed messages at the worst times.

One minute, I’m hyper-sensitive and picking up on sensations that I’d rather not feel (hello, sensitive scalp, feeling every dry booger, or pimple on my back!).

Other times, I’m hypo-sensitive and missing the memo altogether, like only realizing I’m starving once I have a migraine and I could sand the table with the inside of my mouth. 

In my life, it’s like walking around with my internal settings on “Random.” I feel pain in ways that others might not notice, yet I somehow miss critical cues from my body, like the classic “Should I eat?” dilemma until I’m nearly hangry. And don’t get me started on connecting the internal stuff with external realities.

There’s a gap between what my body’s feeling and what the actual “why” might be — it’s like trying to be Batman solving a Riddler crime scene on myself.  I have to wait for the final act to finally get it.

Learning to sort out these signals hasn’t come naturally. I have to *actively* practice connecting the dots between the signals my brain gives off (that “am I stressed, or just out of coffee?” feeling) and the actual needs my body is trying to express.

It’s not foolproof, but knowing that my body is doing the best it can, even if the signals are scrambled, has been surprisingly helpful.

After diving into the science of stress and spending too many hours reading up on how the nervous system deals with burnout and trauma, things started to make a little more sense.

Studies on autism, ADHD, and how my multiple head traumas impact brain regulation have shed light on why my brain sometimes feels like it’s running in twenty directions at once.

If energetic balance is the elusive goal, then I’m out here trying to swim as the speed boats fly by 2 by 2, kicking up wave after wave, submerging me time after time — it’s all a bit of trial and error.

To avoid sliding back into burnout or accidentally staying in functional freeze mode (a charming place where I look fine but am *very* much not fine inside), I keep a mental checklist of red flags to watch for, signs my body’s getting overwhelmed.

So I thought, hey, what not share so you all can learn a little more about the 8th sense….

Here are eight key signs that I’ve learned not to ignore.  Something I have called the Interoception Negative Cycle. One leads to the next. If I can learn to pick our #1 quickly I can act accordingly.

1) Forgetfulness Amplified

My working memory is already a wild card thanks to my neurodivergent brain, but as I edge closer to burnout, my ability to remember things goes from shaky to full-on sieve mode.

It’s as if my brain files things away under “to be remembered…never.” I could forget anything from someone’s name to an important appointment, and that’s when I knew things were heading downhill.

2) Rumination Exclamation

When burnout’s in the neighborhood, my inner dialogue becomes as loud as my ex-girlfriend screaming at me because I didn’t know her favorite color (true story:-).

It’s a loop of things to worry about, things I should be doing, and random bits of anxiety that aren’t helpful, yet stick around anyway. It’s like my brain’s hosting a one-person talk show with no commercial breaks and loves burning the midnight oil.

3) Attention Span of a Squirrel

I know I’m getting close to burnout when my attention span dwindles. It’s like trying to watch Netflix but only making it through the previews, to just scrolling each square on the screen to hear the "beep", "beep" between movie tiles.— I keep scrolling but never actually choose anything until I’m bored with the screen and then go to Prime and start over.

If I’m this distracted, it’s my body’s way of signaling a need to slow down before I hit “freeze mode.”

4) Negative Nancy

I usually can find all the little things that bring me joy — But when burnout is sneaking in, these wins go MIA, my rumination is through the roof and Negative Nacy and her pity party come into play. 

It’s a sign that I need an intervention because if coffee can’t make me smile, things are not going to go well.

5) Appetite and water take a Vacation

When I’m burned out, hunger cues just go AWOL. Our bodies shut down non-essential functions during stress, and, for mine, that means eating is just optional.

If I notice I’m forgetting meals and water, it’s a big red flag to slow down and check in with myself.

6) Hello, Headaches

I used to have chronic headaches, but once I started managing sensory inputs and practicing body awareness, they faded.

Now, when they come back, it’s like my body waving a neon sign that says “Slow down.” Usually, it’s a tension headache from neck to temples — a dead giveaway that I need to meditate and relax my visual system.

7) Over and Under-Stimulated, Simultaneously

Imagine feeling exhausted yet restless and you are so tired but can’t sleep because Brad Pitt from Monkeys is talking in your brain all night (see #2)

That’s what happens when I get burnout-adjacent. My brain’s buzzing with activity, but my body feels sluggish and I want to sleep, but I can't sleep.  It’s my cue to release some pent-up emotions, whether that means dancing around the house, going for a run, or having a good laugh.

8) Ankle Pain and Flesh Eating Lips

When stress creeps in, my body finds subtle ways to resist it, like crushing ankle pain or eating the inside of my lips until I notice the taste of blood. 

When I find my mouth sore from biting and my ankles are aching chronically, it’s an instant reminder to take a step back and re-evaluate.

I hope sharing these signs helps you find your patterns and recognize when your body’s sending you distress signals. Interoception may be tricky to navigate, but every small step toward understanding it is a win in my book.