Being yourself

Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
If you want to be whole and reconnect with yourself spiritually,
mentally, and physically; you need to understand the mind-body
connection and how it affects your development. Under the
mind-body connection, people believe that physical illnesses or
problems come from how your mind is processing social and
biological factors.
This simply means that your emotions and feelings can affect
your physical health. If you have ever been in a stressful
situation such as a divorce or unemployment, you probably
know how stress can make your body feel worn down and slow.
Stress can also affect things like blood pressure and blood
sugar.
Your body can also respond to stress by having gastrointestinal
issues or even stomach ulcers and headaches. You might also
experience fatigue, insomnia, or shortness of breath. Many
people visit the doctor thinking they have physical ailments that
need to be treated, but their conditions are actually being
caused by issues such as stress and anxiety.
Knowing how to control things like stress and anxiety can help
you better manage physical symptoms and can get you into
better health overall.
BEING yourself

Improving Mind-Body Connection
Knowing that mental health can affect your physical health, you
might be wondering if there are some ways you can improve the
mind-body connection. There are many ways you can improve
the connection, but you need to make sure you are making a
solid effort and committing to wanting to become better.
If you are having serious physical conditions, your doctor might

want to put you on medications such as blood pressure
medication. While taking medicine though if needed, you can
also do some things at home to improve your mind-body
connection.
Stress management techniques are one of the top ways you
can reduce stress and get your body back into better health.
Stress management looks different for everyone, but many
people think that practicing a hobby you enjoy can help reduce
stress and enlighten your mind.
If you already have a hobby, you can make time to practice it
more often. If you don’t have a hobby, try and find one. Anything
can be a hobby from writing, to reading, to painting. Hobbies
can also include physical things such as bike riding, yoga, or
running.
BEING yourself

One way to improve the mind-body connection is to also
practice relaxation techniques. This can include mediation,
yoga, or deep breathing. Sitting quietly and breathing deeply
can help balance your emotions. If you aren’t sure how to do
this on your own, there are many videos or books that can help
take you through the practice until you get used to doing it on
your own.
Investing in yourself is also key to being more mindful of the
mind-body connection. This means investing in your health in all
areas including nutrition, fitness, work, hobbies, and personal
relationships. A huge part of investing in yourself includes
finding a good life-work balance.
Without the proper work-life balance, you won’t have time for
yourself, and this can damage growth and the process of being
whole.
The last major part of understanding the mind-body connection
is to develop resilience. Part of resilience is to have good social
support and to have a positive view of yourself. If you’re able to
think positively and be resilient, you will be able to keep things
in perspective even when they might not go your way.