The mind-body relationship - An intimate connection

Do you know sayings like: “I can feel it in my bones”, “My heart feels broken”; “My blood is boiling”; “My back is killing me”; “I have butterflies in my stomach”.

Do you wonder, why we even mention these sayings?

In these sayings, we experience the mind-body relationship. We talk about emotions that we feel in our body, but we are not aware of that. Our body responds to our emotions - the way we think, feel and act. The emotion is becoming visible in our body. Moreover, there is a correlation between our mental health and our physical health.

What do I mean by that?

Well, physical conditions can effect mental health and mental conditions which in turn, can effect your physical health. Your mind is related to the brain and the brain “sits” in your body.

Can you already see the connection?

Your brain consists of neurons which are sending signals to each other, with the help of chemicals called neurotransmitters. These neurotransmitters determine your mind experience and what emotions you feel. To understand how mind and body interact with each other I want to introduce you to the:

• Conscious mind - it’s the logical part of your mind. With the conscious mind you are thinking, organising, planning and reading this article. You’re aware of your feelings; for example- you’re thirsty and you get some water.

• Unconscious mind - is everything else in the mind-body system that is not conscious at this moment. The unconscious mind is like a record keeper, who stores your past and present experiences, and what you have learned physically and mentally.

Why do I tell you this, because thoughts, feelings and beliefs which are stored in our unconscious mind can have a positive or a negative impact on our biological functioning. That means:

“Our minds can affect how healthy our bodies are. What we do with our physical body (food, exercise) can have impact on your mental wellbeing.”

As you can see now this all results in an eclectic relationship between our minds and bodies. By writing this article I realised that for every imbalance in our wellbeing there might not be one explanation, or one treatment that can help us to feel balanced. The roots of the imbalance can be physical, biological or psychological or a mix of all three.

It is always important to see the whole picture, the whole human. The conclusion for me is, if we take care of our psychological wellbeing we can prevent physical illness and the other way round.

Here are some techniques to obtain a healthy mind-body relationship:

• Awareness

Obtaining and preventing your wellbeing requires awareness. Being aware of the intimate connection between mind and body is already an achievement. Furthermore, you can create this awareness through the practice of mindfulness

• Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice of learning to stay in the present moment and observe your experience and surroundings

• Try to interact your emotions

If you feeling stressed, anxious, or sad express these feelings by talking to someone. This can be friends, family or a professional. Through allowing yourself to feel and notice emotions; for example: grief, anger, joy, happiness, excitement. If you not interacting your emotions the chance that they get stored in a negative way in your unconscious mind is possible

• Making the unconscious conscious

When you are anxious, stressed or sad your body reacts in a way that might tell you that something is not in balance. For example- you always get high blood pressure and your heart starts to race on certain occasions or in specific situations; or you always get a stomach bug if you are anxious or stressed out. Ask yourself: Why might I need this symptom now? What emotion is being expressed in this symptom? By asking yourself one question and reflecting on it you might find the cause of the imbalance in your wellbeing

• Taking care for yourself

One of the most important parts. If you take care of yourself and know what your mind and body needs you can build a strong foundation

• Exercise

Through exercise you can influence your mind-body relationship in a positive way. When you exercise your body releases endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain and can trigger a positive feeling in your body. If you exercise you stress level can be reduce, it can help you to get a better sleep and it can improve your self-esteem. As well it has a positive effect on your heart, your blood pressure and it strengthens your body

• Nutrition

A healthy and balanced diet has positive effects on your mind-body wellbeing

• Practice a positive self-talk

Try this exercise out - for the next week, every night before you go to bed write down 3 positive things or 3 things you are grateful for. This exercise should have a positive impact on your mood. You can continue this exercise for a whole month, year or your lifetime ;)

It is important that if your imbalance is not going away, you should see a professional. As I always say, everyone is different, what maybe works for one person, doesn’t work for you. You need to find your way to a balanced life. But keep in mind you’re never alone and there is no shame to reach out for help.

I really hope you like this article. If you have questions you can contact my via e-mail therapy@denise-wolf.com

Denise