The Secrets Of Mind-Body Connection
Health is a holistic state of well-being that encompasses both our physical and mental dimensions. Just as a symphony requires harmony among its instruments, so too does our well-being require balance between mind and body. It is this synergy that allows us to thrive, to navigate life's ebbs and flows with grace and resilience.
Our mental health shapes our perceptions, emotions, and behaviors, while our physical health determines our strength, vitality, and endurance. Together, interconnected, and intertwined, they form the cornerstone of our well-being, influencing every aspect of our lives. When our minds bear the heavy weight of stress, anxiety, or overwhelm, our bodies mirror it. Likewise, when our bodies are fatigued or unwell, our mental resilience falters. The interconnectedness of mind and body is undeniable, each influencing the other in a delicate dance of homeostasis, a state of mental and physical balance.
In this article, let’s explore the profound connection between body and mind, as well as a few ways in which our mental and physical health impact one another.
The Foot Prints Of Physical Health On Mental Well-Being
Sleep Well And Thrive
At some point you have probably noticed the difference in your energy levels, in your ability to concentrate, to perform at work, in the quality of your thoughts and how you feel overall if you have had a good night’s sleep in comparison to having had a poor night’s sleep. And this is just one of many ways in which our physical health, in this case the quality and quantity of our sleep, directly impacts our mental health, our memory, our focus, our mood, our mindset and overall mental well-being.
This is because so many healing processes occur in our body when we sleep that impact our mind in countless of ways. In fact, sleep is one of the most crucial pillars for greater mental and physical health and well-being. Unfortunately, most of us sleep too little, or have very poor quality of sleep, struggling with falling asleep, sleeping very lightly or waking up multiple times during the night. According to one of the leading sleep researchers in the world, Matthew Walker, approximately 2/3 of the population in the industrialized countries sleep too little. Also, we are the only species on Earth that purposefully deprioritise sleep.
However, as he writes in his book “Why we sleep”, good quality sleep every night enhances “our memory and makes us more creative. It makes us look more attractive. It keeps us slim and lowers food cravings. It protects us from cancer and dementia. It wards off colds and the flu. It lowers our risk of heart attacks and stroke, not to mention diabetes. We will even feel happier, less depressed, and less anxious.”
What is not to like, right?
Here is a little insight into how it works. While we sleep, our nervous system activates the parasympathetic part of our nervous system, responsible for healing, resting and digestive activities in our body and mind. Additionally our body balances our hormones, especially our stress hormones, reducing our levels of stress and anxiety, and improving our mood and energy levels. Furthermore when we sleep well and enough our body regulates our blood sugar levels that are also important for improving our mental well-being, as high blood sugar levels, or frequent changes in our blood sugar levels, cause rapid changes in our mood, as well as other mental health symptoms as fatigue, trouble thinking clearly and making decisions, and also our tendency to be more anxious. Additionally, when we sleep our brain literally washes and cleanses itself from the toxins that have accumulated in the brain during the day. If we do not sleep well and sleep enough, the “trash” in our brain builds up and we feel tired, we feel sad and we cannot focus.
Elevate Your Sleep Hygiene
Add a good quality magnesium supplement to your diet. Magnesium is one of the minerals that our body processes insanely fast when we are stressed, because it takes part in so many processes and activities in our body and mind. Also, many people nowadays are deficient in magnesium in general. The main function of magnesium in our body is supporting, soothing and relaxing our nervous system, reducing stress, and thereby improving the quality of our sleep. However before starting to take any supplement, always consult with your health care provider.
Create a relaxing bed time routine. Doing some evening skin care, reading a few pages of a book and meditating for a few minutes helps calm the nervous system prior to bed time. Use these rituals as inspiration or adjust to your preferences, adding in rituals that help you relax, unwind and prepare for restorative sleep.
Invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses. When we consume Television, use our phone, computer or tablet, we are exposed to blue light which our body understands as daytime. Which is not so smart, when our intention is to go to sleep a few moments after watching a movie. So if switching off all electronic devices an hour before bed is not very doable for you, try investing in a pair of blue light blocking glasses that will balance out the blue light and ease your eyes.
Make sleep your top priority. Schedule your day in a way that prioritises 7-8 hours of sleep every night. Support your sleep with soothing supplements or relaxing routines. Make it your non-negotiable priority.
Nourish Yourself From Within
Cliché, yet true, you have perhaps heard this saying before: you are what you eat. Literally. The food that we consume every day becomes the building blocks and fuel for every single cell in our body and mind. And as the bestselling author, physician and one of the leaders in the field of functional medicine, doctor Mark Hyman, says: “There is no other activity you do every day that has more power to change your biology than what you eat”. He also states that “The body and the mind are single, bidirectional system. What you do to one has an enormous impact on the other and most people do not realize the profound connection between what we eat and our brain function and mental health”.
The fact is, our body and mind - or more precisely in this case, our gut and our brain - are tightly interconnected through countless nerves running from our brain down to our gut - the largest of them, the Vagus Nerve - connecting the two together and sending directions both ways. Studies show, that every time you experience an emotion, you slightly change your gut environment and the microbes that live in it either positively or negatively. On the other hand, the trillions of bacteria that we are home to as human beings and a lot of which reside in our gut can synthesize neurotransmitters that send chemical messages to the brain to regulate sleep, pain, appetite, mood, and emotions. Again, the connection between out gut and our brain works both ways.
And how can we make sure that our gut is healthy, and this connection between our body and mind can run smoothly you may ask? Well, a major part of it is our nutrition and hydration that either supports or challenges the gut health, the amount and variety of the gut bacteria that ensures proper gut health, and ultimately the health of our entire body and even mind.
Is There A Perfect Diet?
There are many answers to this question in the health and wellness industry, however, here is the Inspired Change approach to this subject: there is no one-size-fits-all-diet.
So when it comes to optimizing your everyday diet, the best rule of thumb is: more of the natural and less of the unnatural. It means simplicity at its best: less processed foods, alcohol, refined sugar and caffeine, and more of fruits, greens, veggies, healthy fats, whole grains and good quality protein sources – as nature intended. Because there are certain foods that truly nourish and fuel our bodies, while others simply do not, plus they cause inflammation in our body and mind and do not serve as a nutritious fuel for our cells. Not to say that there should not be room for favorite treats. However, for the majority of your everyday diet, aim for natural, whole, fresh foods, home cooked meals, preferably organic ingredients and food that make your feel vibrant, energetic, healthy and good inside and out.
Move To Feel Well
Very few lifestyle choices and habits are as impactful for our mental health and physical well-being as regular movement. And the great bonus is: it does not even require significant time commitment or intensity. Any time and space you can create for this habit - even if it is just 5 or 10 minutes a day - will benefit your body and mind in multiple ways.
For instance, regular movement strengthens our immune system, boosts energy levels, reduces pain, improves the quality of our sleep and supports and improves our mood. Also did you know that the best way to burn off the stress hormones without changing your thinking is to get moving? That is because exercise reduces the amounts of cortisol - one of our stress hormones - in our blood streams. Additionally regular exercise supports and fuels our brain function, improving our memory, learning, and ability to focus and concentrate.
In fact, studies show that even a 10 minute walk every day can help unlock all of these and so many more benefits of regular movement and exercise for our mental and physical health. And already way back in the days, people were aware of the mental health benefits of movement, because as a quote by an ancient philosopher Hippocrates states: “If you are in a bad mood, go for a walk. If you are still in a bad mood, go for another walk”.
Release Your Endorphins
Perhaps you have noticed this yourself that after going for a walk or a run, or doing a short workout, or moving your body by dancing to your favorite song: you feel much more energized, joyful and rejuvenated than how you felt before moving your body. And that is also because, when we exercise, our body produces large amounts of one of our happiness hormones - endorphins - that help relieve pain, improve our mood, reduce stress and anxiety and boost the feelings of joy and happiness.
The Impact Of Mental Health On Physical Well-Being
Steady The Nerves
Our nervous system is the command center of the body. Our feelings, thoughts, sleep, gut health and so much more are all guided by our nervous system. And when it is thrown out of balance by various everyday stressors, your health can be affected and you might find yourself struggling with feeling overwhelmed, having trouble sleeping, or having digestive issues.
The issue for many of us is that in today’s high paced world, with a lot of things to do and places to be, the part of our nervous system that is activated most of the time is our sympathetic nervous system, which is the one that switches on our body’s stress response. This results in high amounts of adrenaline and cortisol flooding in our blood for long periods of time, leading to various health issues long-term, both regarding mental and physical health.
And because restoring the balance in our nervous system and regulating it is a major key to our overall health and well-being, both mentally and physically, it is important that we make a conscious effort to activate our parasympathetic nervous system, which is the one responsible for resting and healing. And the truth is, it is much less complicated than it might sound.
Mindfulness Practices For Calm And Inner Peace
A few minutes of mindful breathing or meditation, a regular gratitude practice, spending time in nature and, non the least, getting good quality sleep every night - all these small daily or weekly practices will help you regulate and balance your nervous system, and thereby regain balance in your body and mind too.
Our Thoughts Impact Our Feelings That Influence Our Actions
The fact is, it is not only our mind’s reaction to outside triggers that can affect our physical and mental health. Our own thoughts and emotions can also influence our body’s well-being.
Perhaps, at some point you have noticed your palms get sweaty prior to an important meeting, exam or a date, because you were so nervous and did not know how it would go. That is the most basic example of how our thoughts and emotions can influence our body’s response. In fact, there is a self-reinforcing cycle that lives in all of us, encompassing a huge power and potential in becoming more aware of it: the way our thoughts impact our feelings that shape our actions.
There is an interdisciplinary field of medicine, called psychosomatic medicine, that explores the relationship among “psychological and behavioral factors on bodily processes and quality of life in humans”. In other words, this field of research teaches about how the state of our mental health affects our physical health.
Because our thoughts have a profound physiological effect on the body and can either support or sabotage the healing processes. Even just thinking about a negative experience can set off a cascade of physiological events in the body just as if it is happening right now. An example of this can be a panic attack, triggered by a thought or belief that sets off a physical reaction, with elevated breathing and heart rate. Another example of a psychosomatic reaction can be a thought that triggers the feeling of sadness that over time leads to a weakened immune system. Or if you are under pressure and you believe you cannot cope, the brain hits the panic button, telling the body’s stress circuit to shift gear. Anticipating danger, our arteries tighten, sending blood in towards the core. With less blood reaching muscles and brain, our mental and physical strength starts to weaken. By thinking positive you can flip this physical response, opening the blood vessels back up, so you can find energy to persevere.
The mind-body connection is truly that powerful.
Pay Closer Attention To Your Thoughts
There is a huge power and potential in paying closer attention to our thoughts, becoming more aware of the quality of our thoughts and actively working on rewiring our relationship with our thoughts. However, we cannot always control what thoughts pop into our head. In fact, our mind automatically generates more than 70.000 thoughts every day. But we can always bring more mindfulness and awareness to our thoughts by:
Noticing a negative thought or belief
Noticing how it makes us feel
Getting curious about it: is there any evidence of it, is it even true? (Spoiler alert: most times it is not)
We can also challenge the thought rationally
Rephase it into a more positive thought or belief
And lastly, when a negative thought pops into our head, we can acknowledge its arrival and train our mind to think about something else instead of attaching yourself to that negative thought
Because the truth is, our thoughts only exist when we think them. So next time you notice a negative thought pop into your head, try to bring mindfulness to that moment and see, if you can observe it from afar without attaching yourself to that particular thought, and let it pass just as smoothly as it appeared on your mental radar in the first place.
The Bottom Line
To truly be able to live our lives to the fullest, we have to prioritize cultivating balance by adopting a holistic approach to well-being, taking care of our mind and body in equal parts. This entails not only caring for our physical health through nourishing food, regular exercise, and intentional rest, but also caring for our mental well-being through mindfulness and self-love. One cannot exist without the other, and it is only by caring for both aspects of our well-being that we can build the foundation for a healthy and nourished life.