The Mind-Body Connection
What is the mind-body connection?
Our mental health and physical health are linked: this is known as the mind-body connection. Research has shown that our mental wellbeing – the health of our thoughts, feelings and emotions - affects our body’s wellbeing. In the same way, our body’s health and wellness affects our mental wellness. Our mental and physical state is affected by numerous external and internal stimuli. This could include but is not limited to:
how much sleep we get
our diet
our level of physical activity
the quality and quantity of media we consume
sleep patterns
mental or physical health conditions
stress levels
A good example of the link between your mental and physical state is how you respond to stress. Stress is felt not only as mental anguish, but also as physical symptoms in the body. These physical symptoms can include fatigue, headaches, aches and pains, blood pressure, etc.
A study[1] conducted in 2013 used participants’ results to map different emotions in the body. The red, orange and yellow colors indicate higher physical sensation in the body than the blue fields. This diagram shows that emotions do actually manifest in our bodies.
Sometimes, stress or anxiety can hide our body’s messages that something is wrong. For example, high stress or trauma can cause us to go into a fight-flight-freeze response. You can read more about this stress response here. When we are in fight-flight-freeze, we are emotionally numb and less attuned to clues our bodies are giving us about our physical health. We may overlook issues with blood pressure or our blood sugar levels. Research has shown a link between high stress levels and lowered immunity.
How Can You Tell that Your Mind and Body are Not in Sync?
Below are a number of ways to know if there is a disconnect between your mind and body.
Understand your emotional state
When your mind and body are connected, you are able to sit with and understand your emotional state. For example, if you are manifesting physical symptoms of stress or anxiety, you are able to figure out why you are feeling this way. If you do not know why you are feeling a certain way, it could indicate a disconnect. For example, if you are experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, but cannot identify a reason for them.
Burnout
Burnout is another possible indicator of a disconnect between mind and body. Emotional, physical, and/or mental burnout occurs when we are doing too much. If you are overscheduled, sleep deprived, skipping meals, and ignoring your physical health, you are missing out on important communication cues between your mind and body. You will be unaware of the strain on your body, and will not see the link between this and your moods.
Routines that do not serve you
Another example of the mind and body being out of sync is adhering to a strict schedule or routine, even when it does not feel right or good. This could be a rigid diet plan, exercise plan, work calendar – or a combination of these.
How to Improve Your Mind-body Connection
Where do you feel emotion in your body?
Think about how certain emotions feel in your body. Doing this regularly will also have the beneficial side effect of increasing your general self-awareness. Pay attention to what you feel in your body and where you feel it when you experience emotions like anger, frustration, sadness, or anxiety. If you struggle with a chronic condition, keep track of the relationship between your emotions and how they trigger physical symptoms.
Stress management
Practice effective stress management. When we become overwhelmed by stressful conditions, our body can go into the fight-flight-freeze response (as mentioned above). Be aware of your stress triggers and learn methods to bring yourself back to baseline.
Body language
Gain awareness and agency over your body language. When your body and mind are in sync, your outward physical expressions of how you are feeling will be natural and authentic. This could be through the way you smile, sit, stand, place your hands, etc.
Meditation
When you meditate, you give yourself emotional, mental, and physical space. In this space you are then able to nurture self-awareness and become attuned to your mind and body. Eventually, this practice can lead to greater peace of mind and mental and physical calmness. There are guided meditations available on the internet, that take you through mindful meditations such as a body scan. Performed regularly, these can also help you get your mind and body back in sync.
Exercise
Exercise is a fantastic way to become attuned to your body. It has the benefits of getting you into shape and keeping healthy. It also shows you what your body can do, what kind of exercise works best for you, and what your limits are.
Mind-body exercises like yoga, tai chi and qi gong are considered especially helpful in calming and connecting the mind and body as they involve concentration, focused breathing, physical stability, and movement. Studies have shown that activities like these are great for improving your overall sense of wellbeing.
Sleep
Get sufficient sleep. Everyone reading this knows how important quality sleep is! If we were to go into the benefits of good sleep and the harm sleep deprivation can cause, this article would be never-ending. High quality, sufficient sleep is crucial for good mental and physical health.
Keep a journal
Journalling is a good way to keep track of how you are feeling, both physically and mentally. Even if you do not write about this specifically, patterns may eventually emerge through your writing. These patterns may give clues as to how your mind-body interactions play out.
Eat well
Eat healthy! Again, this is a point that you must have heard and read about extensively. An emphasis on good eating habits will lead to overall wellbeing and health. The greater your sense of wellbeing, the better your mind-body connection, and vice versa.
Get into nature
Spend time outside. The therapeutic effect of nature - greenery, a picnic by a stream, a walk in the park, sitting underneath a tree – is proven by research. Take the time to experience it. You can take your exercise outside, journal outside, even meditate in a quiet outdoor spot.
Breathing techniques
There are many different methods that use your breath and breathing to soothe you, improve digestion, improve the connection between the gut and the brain, and help with anxiety or anger. The techniques are easy and can be practiced pretty much any time and any where.
One such breathing exercise is called box breathing. This involves inhaling for a count of 4, holding it there for a count of 4, exhaling for a count of 4, and holding it there for a count of 4, and repeating the process. This method calms the mind, decreases the stress response in the body, and thus aids in engaging the mind-body connection.
Good posture
You can also improve your mind-body connection by trying to consciously and consistently maintain good posture. Good posture relieves rigidity and tension in the body, thereby creating a sense of physical and mental wellbeing.
FAQs
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If you are struggling and are looking for some extra support and guidance, Trust Mental Health is here for you. We have a diverse team of therapists that specialize in anxiety therapy, individual therapy, and many other therapeutic treatments. Contact us today for a free 15 minute consultation. We will match you with a therapist best suited to your individual needs.
REFERENCES:
[1] Paintedbrain.org