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Discovering the Mind-Body Connection: The mind/body connection is the idea that our mind affects physiological functions in our body. Proponents believe that our thoughts and emotions will induce physical manifestations. The mind’s influence on our body may be positive or negative.
A great example of this phenomenon is when our mind is in a state of love. In this positive state, oxytocin and serotonin are released, causing the body to relax, and a euphoric feeling of happiness and joy floods over us.
When we are experiencing a state of fear, our brain releases completely different hormones. Cortisol, a stress hormone, shuts down our immune system to conserve energy for fight or flight — this unconscious response is designed to help us survive in life-or-death situations. The primary issue with this response is that we are continually experiencing stress in our day-to-day lives and continually bombarding our bodies with this stress hormone.
In summary, we experience a thought or emotion, and in response to our mind’s interpretation, our brain releases chemicals in the body that have an impact at the cellular level.
Why is this important to you?
“…we experience a thought or emotion, and in response to our mind’s interpretation, our brain releases chemicals in the body that have an impact at the cellular level.”
If you treat your body well, the mind will follow, and vice versa. No one feels good when the body is angry, frustrated, upset, or depressed. When we continuously experience these negative emotions, we often get sick and are barely capable of devising a clear thought. Life is complicated and full of surprises, and experiencing emotional stress continuously is unavoidable. How you handle your emotional stress is, however, within your control.
While it is common to experience stress daily, extreme, or recurring emotional stressors are a severe threat. These stressors will manifest physical problems that can have a detrimental impact on your health. How to strengthen your mental health and keep your mind and body healthy.
Simple tips to strengthen your mental health
01. Self-awareness:
To manage your emotional health, you must become aware of your emotions and develop an understanding of why you are experiencing them. By discovering the cause of the excitement, you can proactively assess the situation.
You must become aware of your emotions and develop an understanding of why you are experiencing them. By discovering the cause of the excitement, you can proactively assess the situation.
02. Express Yourself :
many people are afraid to express their true feelings. Some of us have raised that it is unprofessional or immature to express our emotions. Holding your feelings in can worsen their effect on your body. Expressing your true feelings is incredibly helpful. Talk to your family or friends. If the situation is delicate, you can seek guidance from a doctor or counselor as well.
03. Relax:
Stress is a common culprit for unhealthy physical manifestations. If relaxation doesn’t come naturally to you, make time every day for it. Recreation will have a significant influence on helping you manage your emotions. Meditation, exercise, yoga, reading a book, or watching a funny movie on Tunemovie are all great ways to relax. Find what works best for you, and try to incorporate it into your life – especially when you are feeling particularly stressed out.
04. Manage Your Time:
most often, it is our lack of personal time that causes us the most stress. Whether you are facing a deadline or overworked, it is still essential to find time for yourself. Learn to manage your time and prioritize your life. Try writing down how you spend your time every day for one week and see if there are any holes where you are wasting time that spent elsewhere.
05. Look At The Big Picture:
It is easy to get wrapped up in our small day-to-day problems. Even our most serious crises seem like a life/death scenario at the time. First, reflect on a difficult time in your life and be proud that you made it through. In retrospect, we blow most of our problems out of proportion.
The Relaxation Response
The Relaxation Response by Dr. Herbert Benson is a phenomenal book that investigates the mind/body connection. In the book, Dr. Benson describes a technique to achieve a state of relaxation. Below is a summarized version of this technique (mainly, a simple breathing meditation).
- Find a quiet location where you will remain uninterrupted
- Sit in a comfortable position
- Close your eyes
- Consciously focus on relaxing all of your muscles, beginning with your feet and progressing to your head
- Inhale and exhale slowly through your nose, focusing only on your breathing
- Better to continue for 10 to 20 minutes
- Try to ignore any distracting thoughts that pop up into your head and solely concentrate on your breathing
- You may open your eyes to check the time, but setting the alarm is not advised
With repeated practice, you will quickly achieve a deep state of relaxation following this process. Initially, you will be impatient and have a difficult time sitting still. You may even feel like you are wasting your time. I encourage you to repeat this process once a day for a week and see the difference in how you think by the end of the week.
Next time you are feeling stressed out, physically ill, or experiencing any negative emotion, incorporate the above tips into your day and see how much better you feel.
