President Biden: Risking Re-Election
Tammie Visintainer
Our physical health and emotional health are intimately intertwined in what is known as the mind-body connection. In many cases, the causes of our physical pain develop from not dealing with our anxiety, depression, stress, and so on.
The bodily reaction to this can show in small ways—at first.
The Most Powerful Tool to Living A Healthier Life is Within You
An example we can all sympathize with: Being nervous before a test or big event. The heart rate starts to rise, palms get sweaty, and sometimes you may begin to feel so nervous you begin to make yourself sick or nauseous. Those effects stem from the fight or flight reaction of the mind’s perception of threat.
This connection can also result more drastically.
If you have been dealing with a lot of stress at work and overwhelming thoughts, this stress can manifest as reoccurring back pain, migraines, bowel problems and even chest aches. By mastering the body-mind connection, through learning to manage our feelings and control our minds, we can prevent health problems and increase our overall wellness.
Practice “connecting” with yourself
Making it a practice to slow down and understand yourself and your emotions will help you to better manage them so you’re not just storing them in your body, but dealing with them. Learning to process your emotions and how to release them can go a long way in preventing health problems. The practices mentioned will help you to reconnect with your body and mind, improve your self-awareness, help manage stress, and promote emotional health.
- Have a daily meditation routine
- Practice deep breathing techniques
- Engage with your senses (aromatherapy, art therapy, mindfulness)
- Keeping a journal
Learn to control your thoughts
If you are subject to anxious tendencies, negative thinking, and bouts of sadness, learning to control your thoughts can help you rewire your mind and thinking patterns. Doing this can help you learn to not overwhelm yourself with such thoughts that cause these emotions, thus reducing stress. By implementing the aforementioned practices, you’ll eventually rewire your brain to not linger in those emotional states caused by “rampant” thinking. This will aid in also controlling your emotions and strengthening your mind-body connection.
- Talk with a therapist regularly
- Stick to a meditation routine
- Redirect obsessive or worrying thoughts through journaling or affirmations.
- Practice mindfulness and being present
Take care of your body
If our minds can impact our physical health, then so can our physical health directly impact our emotional health. It’s no surprise then that when we engage in physical exercise it also can bring us mental relief and help with stress in the body. By focusing on our physical health we can decrease the risk of mental ailments. Making lifestyle changes that strengthen our bodies, such as the actions listed below, can result in benefits such as elevating our mood, reducing stress, boosting immunity, and preventing further ailments.
- Daily engagement in physical activity that raises the heart rate
- Establishing a healthy diet
- Seasonal detoxes (juicing, spa treatments, lymphatic massages)
- Regularly engaging in self-care practices
- Spending time in nature
Reconnecting with yourself will bring you better health
Improving your mind-body connection is one of the most important lifestyle changes you can make. Our bodies are heavily affected by the stress, trauma, and emotions we hold onto. Stored emotions in the body are a leading cause of developing emotional and physical health problems, but many health problems can be prevented if we pay better attention to this vital connection.
By applying the three principles—connecting with yourself, controlling your thoughts and taking care of yourself physically—you can master the mind-body connection and drastically transform the overall well-being of your life.
