Have you ever had a physical reaction to just a mere thought of something? For example, shaky hands or feeling ill due to nervousness? Or just had a “gut feeling” about something? This is not uncommon, and it occurs because feelings are not simply “in your head.” That’s why sometimes people describe emotional situations in physical contexts such as when a particularly emotional situation occurs, it feels like “a punch in the gut” but nothing physically technically happened. Research shows that the way our bodies learn to react to our feelings and emotions have an impact on our physical health. The connection between our mind and body is strong. For that reason, both the mind and body should be regularly taken care of and supported.
Over the past few decades researchers have begun to look at the link between mental disorders and physical health more than in the past. One of the most studied and well-established links has been between depression and cardiovascular disease.1 This is not to say that if you have depression, you will get a cardiovascular disease or that if you have cardiovascular disease that you will suffer from depression. But studies are showing the overlap between many mental health issues and many physical health issues. Other physical health issues strongly linked to mental health issues are diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. It is said that on a neurochemical level, physical pain and symptoms of depression act very similarly in the body, which is why depression can actually hurt and be felt in different parts of the body.
The Body
The human body is a complex network of tissues, organs, cells, bacteria, bones, hormones and neurotransmitters that all work together. Years ago, it was thought that the mind and body operated completely separate of each other. It was believed that diseases of the body simply didn’t affect the mind and vice versa, that mental illness didn’t have much to do with the physical body other than the brain. We know now that is not true, as researches continues to show how mental health issues impact the body physically.
One of the biggest culprits in mental health issues is stress. The feeling of stress releases hormones like cortisol into the body that circulate throughout the body causing reactions in many different organs and systems. Some of these reactions that physically be seen or felt instantly, others you may not notice until much later. For example, when you feel stressed your muscles might tense up and cause a sore neck. This type of reaction is more noticeable due to the identifiable discomfort. Most likely, you won’t notice that your immune system has been weakened at the time, but prolonged stress may weaken the immune system to the point where you struggle to fight off a simple cold or develop a chronic condition such as an autoimmune disease. Here are some of the ways symptoms like stress impact the body:
Musculoskeletal
When stress increases, our bodies will often tense up muscles as a way of protecting other organs and bones or prepare for action whether that is fighting or fleeing. The continuous tensing of muscles can cause chronic pain throughout the body. This is often felt in the hips, back, shoulders and neck. It can also lead to chronic tension headaches.
Cardiovascular & Respiratory
Stress hormones cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure. While this isn’t harmful for a short period of time, it becomes harmful when it is chronic. It causes inflammation in the cardiovascular and circulatory system, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack or hypertension. Furthermore, breathing can be impacted by feelings such as anxiousness by constricting air flow, rapid breathing or shortness of breath. This can be particularly problematic for those already prone to breathing issues such as asthma. Oxygen is a key element needed by our bodies to maintain and produce healthy cells.
Immune System
The immune system plays an important role in maintaining physical health. It is the system that fights off infections from viruses and bacteria to ensure our body recovers from physical illness. It includes white blood cells, antibodies, the lymphatic system, the thymus, parts of the digestive system and even bone marrow. Research has found that mental health issues like stress, depression and isolation do actually impact the immune systems functioning, specifically lowering immunity and ability to function appropriately.
Improve Your Mind-Body Connection:
- Exercise: There are several different types of exercise and they are all good for physical health. Aerobic exercise in particular has shown to be great for improving mental health due to its ability to change functioning in the brain. Running, swimming, bicycling, walking and hiking are all good options for getting your heart rate up while improving mental health.
- Visualization Meditation: Specifically practicing visualization during meditation can improve the connection between the mind and body. While you sit with your eyes closed, use your thoughts and imagination to speak to your body. Visualize a bright white-golden light traveling throughout your body and releasing tension, stress or pain.
- Deep Breathing: Breathing is a connection to the body. Deep breathing has shown to be a good technique in calming the body and releasing stress. Take a deep breath in counting to 4, hold for a few seconds, and breath out to a count of 4. Doing this a few times throughout the day will break up periods of prolonged stress and give the body time to recover.
1.Barrett L. F. (2009). The Future of Psychology: Connecting Mind to Brain. Perspectives on psychological science : a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, 4(4), 326–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01134.x
Review information about The Mind-Brain Connection
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