Glowing internal organs representing interoception.

Tuning In: How to Sharpen Your Body Awareness for Better Mental Health

Rhea Morgan in Health & Wellness July 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock the power of interoception: A guide to understanding and improving your body's signals for enhanced well-being."

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to become disconnected from our bodies. We often prioritize external demands over internal signals, potentially impacting our mental and physical well-being. But what if tuning into your body could unlock a pathway to improved mental health? This is where interoception comes in.

Interoception is the process by which your nervous system senses, interprets, and integrates signals originating from within your body. Think of it as your body's internal communication system, constantly providing feedback about your physical and emotional state. This awareness plays a crucial role in emotional regulation, self-awareness, and overall mental wellness. When your mind is in sync with your body, you are more aware and happier.

This article explores interoception, its importance for mental health, and how you can improve your interoceptive awareness using insights from the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (MAIA-2). Whether you're seeking to manage anxiety, enhance self-understanding, or simply improve your overall well-being, learning to listen to your body can be a transformative step.

Decoding Your Body's Signals: The Power of Interoceptive Awareness

Glowing internal organs representing interoception.

Interoceptive awareness isn't just about noticing physical sensations; it's about understanding what those sensations mean. It's the conscious level of interoception with multiple dimensions, potentially accessible to self-report. Are you able to understand what is going on? For instance, a racing heart might signal anxiety, excitement, or physical exertion. Learning to differentiate these signals and respond appropriately is key to managing emotions and making informed decisions about your health.

However, not all forms of interoceptive awareness are beneficial. An over focus on physical sensations, often driven by anxiety or hypervigilance, can lead to somatization and hypochondria. The goal is to cultivate a mindful, accepting awareness of bodily sensations, rather than a reactive or judgmental one.

The MAIA-2 assessment measures several key dimensions of interoceptive awareness, including:

Noticing: Awareness of bodily sensations.
Not-Distracting: The ability to not ignore or distract oneself from sensations of pain or discomfort.
Not-Worrying: Experiencing emotional distress or worry with sensations of pain or discomfort.
Attention Regulation: The ability to sustain and control attention to bodily sensations.
Emotional Awareness: Awareness of the connection between bodily sensations and emotional states.
Self-Regulation: The ability to regulate distress by attending to bodily sensations.
Body Listening: Actively listening to the body for insights.
Trusting: Trusting bodily sensations.

The MAIA-2 is a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians to assess interoceptive awareness and evaluate the effectiveness of mind-body interventions. By understanding these dimensions, individuals can gain deeper insights into their own interoceptive abilities and identify areas for improvement.

Practical Steps to Enhance Your Interoceptive Awareness

Improving your interoceptive awareness is a journey, not a destination. It requires consistent effort and a willingness to turn inward and listen to your body's signals. While objectively measuring interoceptive accuracy can be difficult, focusing on subjective self-report measures like the MAIA-2 offers valuable insights.

Mindfulness practices, such as meditation and body scans, can help you cultivate a greater awareness of bodily sensations. Start by setting aside a few minutes each day to focus on your breath and notice any sensations in your body without judgment. You can also try paying attention to your body during everyday activities, such as walking, eating, or stretching.

Remember, interoception is a skill that can be developed over time. Be patient with yourself, and celebrate small victories along the way. By learning to listen to your body, you can unlock a powerful pathway to improved mental health and overall well-being. The MAIA-2 questionnaire is publicly available and can be a valuable tool in this process.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208034, Alternate LINK

Title: The Multidimensional Assessment Of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (Maia-2)

Subject: Multidisciplinary

Journal: PLOS ONE

Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)

Authors: Wolf E. Mehling, Michael Acree, Anita Stewart, Jonathan Silas, Alexander Jones

Published: 2018-12-04

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is interoception and why is it important?

Interoception is your body's internal communication system, enabling you to sense, interpret, and integrate signals originating from within. It's crucial for mental health, influencing emotional regulation and self-awareness. This awareness helps you to connect your physical and emotional states, leading to improved well-being. By understanding interoception, you can cultivate a deeper understanding of your internal experiences, managing emotions effectively and making better decisions about your health. This is especially critical in a fast-paced world where external demands often take precedence over internal signals, which potentially impacts both mental and physical health.

What is the MAIA-2 assessment and what does it measure?

The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, Version 2 (MAIA-2), is a valuable tool for researchers and clinicians. It measures key dimensions of interoceptive awareness. These dimensions include Noticing, which is your awareness of bodily sensations; Not-Distracting, which is the ability to not ignore or distract oneself from sensations of pain or discomfort; and Not-Worrying, which is the tendency to experience emotional distress or worry with sensations of pain or discomfort. The MAIA-2 also considers Attention Regulation, encompassing the ability to sustain and control attention to bodily sensations; Emotional Awareness, concerning the connection between bodily sensations and emotional states; and Self-Regulation, the ability to regulate distress by attending to bodily sensations. The Body Listening dimension focuses on actively listening to the body for insights, and finally, Trusting, which reflects the ability to trust bodily sensations. By understanding these dimensions, individuals and professionals can gain insights into interoceptive abilities and identify areas for improvement, ultimately contributing to enhanced mental wellness.

How can someone improve their interoceptive awareness?

Improving interoceptive awareness is a journey and requires consistent effort to turn inward and listen to your body's signals. The process begins with understanding how interoception, your internal communication system, works. Enhancing this awareness includes recognizing and interpreting your body's signals correctly. For instance, identifying whether a racing heart signifies anxiety, excitement, or physical exertion is key. Using tools like the MAIA-2 assessment helps in identifying areas for improvement within interoceptive awareness. By paying attention to dimensions like Noticing, Attention Regulation, and Emotional Awareness, you can actively improve how you perceive and respond to internal sensations. This mindful approach supports emotional regulation, self-awareness, and overall mental wellness.

Why is interoception so significant for mental health?

The significance of interoception lies in its impact on mental health, including emotional regulation and self-awareness. It serves as your internal communication system, which can influence how you experience and respond to emotions. When you understand your body's signals, you can better manage emotions, make informed decisions, and improve your mental wellness. However, it's important to cultivate a mindful, accepting awareness of bodily sensations to avoid issues like somatization or hypochondria. The MAIA-2 assessment offers a way to measure and understand different dimensions of interoceptive awareness, further highlighting its importance for mental health.

What is the difference between interoception and simply noticing physical sensations?

While both are related, interoceptive awareness differs from simply noticing physical sensations. Interoceptive awareness is the conscious level of interoception with multiple dimensions, involving the interpretation of what these sensations mean. For example, a racing heart can be interpreted as anxiety, excitement, or physical exertion. Conversely, an over focus on these sensations can result in somatization and hypochondria. The MAIA-2 assessment measures key aspects of this awareness. By practicing self-report measures like the MAIA-2, individuals can gain valuable insights into their interoceptive abilities. This helps to cultivate a mindful awareness, supporting emotional regulation and overall mental wellness.