The Mind-Body Connection
Whether we realize it or not, every emotion we experience results in some type of physical sensation in our bodies. In fact, even the very thoughts we think have the power to invoke a physical response. If you feel so inclined, humor me. Take a moment to think about something that brings you a sense of disgust, perhaps imagining yourself accidentally stepping in dog feces or walking into a room that smells like rotten food. At this very thought, you may have found your face scrunching up like it does when we experience disgust. Now let’s take another moment just to stop and think about someone who brings you great joy. Maybe this is a child, niece, nephew, friend, neighbor, co-worker, or another family member. You might have some pictures or a video on your phone to quickly glance at as you think of this person. While some of you may have noticed yourself automatically smiling at the thought of this person, others may have also experienced a slight tingling sensation in your body, heat, or energy of some sort as you experienced the emotion of joy and happiness. These are examples of the mind-body connection. Other examples may include the way one might experience increased pain in their neck or back when they are stressed or when someone experiences stomach pain when they are nervous before a difficult conversation.
For some people, the mind-body connection feels natural and obvious. For others, it might feel like there is a disconnect between their mind and their body. While the disconnect reasons may vary, one reason may be a result of traumatic experiences that have led someone to protect themselves by disconnecting to their own body and even intuition. In some cases, a disconnection from our body can leave someone struggling to be in tune with their basic needs like hunger, thirst, need for sleep, or physical exercise. It may result in someone struggling to feel, express or cope with emotion or the ability to identify and express preferences. Disconnection can also look like feeling a bit numb or operating in auto-pilot mode where one goes through the day with limited attention and perhaps little memory of what they even did that day. In more extreme cases, disconnection can look like dissociation, de-realization, extreme emotional reactions without awareness, continuous flight/fight responses, or shutting down behaviors.
Connecting to one’s body is a core component of health as it increases one’s ability to manage mental health symptoms, increase one’s energy, improve sleep, and enhance overall well-being. However, since mind-body connection does not necessarily come easy, it’s important to remember that is it is a process that takes practice! Stay tuned for future blogs that will highlight different ways to increase your mind-body connection!
-Katie K LMHC, SUDP