Mind and Body

Our physical body and our mental health are directly connected to each other. When we are in physical pain such as being sick or having a broken body part, we do not feel like ‘ourselves.’ Everyone in a lesbian or heterosexual relationship experiences this during that ‘time of the month’ that the female has cramps. Don’t deny it – if your significant other is being a little bit more naggy you immediately ask her if it’s that time. And why you ask? Because her physical pain (not to mention hormones) makes her cranky – which is the mental health/emotional part of the body-mind connection. Nobody likes being in pain. We’re suffering and want others to participate in and/or acknowledge our suffering – it’s human nature. 

Furthermore, there has been much research that shows that people who suffer from mental health diagnoses such as depression or anxiety, develop physical symptoms that are sometimes mistaken for actual medical ailments. As a mild example, someone experiencing anxiety has physical symptoms such as sweating, breathing heavily, and a ‘fluttering’ heart. Those who struggle with anger or stress management, develop high blood pressure as a result – which in turn leads to heart disease. 

In the reverse, exercise has been shown to decrease depression and increase self-esteem. There are some research studies that say that diet can impact focus for those diagnoses with ADHD as well as improve self-esteem.

Without one being stable, the other part of us is at risk of being attacked so to say. If we maintain a healthy physicality, our emotional stability will increase. If we increase our emotional stability, our physicality will be at less risk for disease.