My blog focuses on Health/Wellness. No one aspect of our personal health is important more than the other and our mental and physical health are intertwined. The following contributed post is entitled, 195-The Connection Between Mental and Physical Health.
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Image by olga volkovitskaia from Pixabay
Wellness is about a lot more than what you eat. We tend to separate our mental and physical health as if they are two very different conversations but this is not necessarily the case.
In reality they are very much connected. The stress you carry can show up in your body as chronic pain, tension and even fatigue. At the same time when you are physically ill it is going to impact your emotional state and your mood. The mind-body connection is very real and should never be neglected.
How Stress Shows Up Physically
When your mind starts to feel overwhelmed, your body is going to take a hit as well. Stress hormones such as cortisol can disrupt your sleep immensely.
It can also mess up your digestion and contribute to a lot of inflammation. You might start to feel tension in your shoulders and even clench your jaw without realizing that you’re doing so.
You may start to experience headaches. These aren’t just symptoms that come out of the blue, they are your body’s way of showing you that it is under a lot of pressure.
Healing from a Whole Person’s Perspective
One of the most empowering things you can do is to look at your health in a holistic way. This means that you look at your emotional resilience, nutrition, movement and even your sleep.
All of these are pieces of one big puzzle that you have to fit together. This is exactly where integrative care comes into play. Clinics such as Davis Integrative Medicine will help you to focus on treating your whole body.
It’s not just about isolated symptoms. With a combination of alternative and traditional therapies your unique health needs will be fully taken care of.
Small Shifts, Big Changes
Don’t think you have to overhaul your whole life in order to feel good. Sometimes all you need is just one small shift.
You can try taking walks or journaling before you go to bed. All of this can have a very noticeable effect over time. It will improve your physical health and boost your mood as well.
Taking care of your health is going to cause an increase in your energy levels. When both systems are supported then everything starts to fall into place. You will start to see improvements that you may have thought impossible.
Wellness That Flows Both Ways
True Wellness is going to flow from both directions and you should always remember that. Your mind and your body are intimately connected. It’s not about trying to strive for any form of her perfection.
It’s about learning to listen to your body very closely. When you start to treat your body with a lot of care and give your mind the space to breathe you create conditions for some real and lasting wellness. You have to make intentional choices with every breath you take. These are the building blocks that will make your life and your body feel better in the long run.
