Mind & Body - The Wanna Be Besties

Our mind and our body sometimes feel like two separate entities, but lean on each other a lot more than we think. Not only do they work together, but they can raise each other up, and bring each other down. Think of a duo in a three-legged race - the more in sync, the more successful they are; but work against each other, they're more likely to fall down and get injured. When we work toward being mindful of the connection between our mind and body, we become more likely to foster that connection; as a result, the whole self becomes more healed and fulfilled.

Let's Reflect For a Second

We have come a long way from previous decades when mental health needs were often advised to be kept secret; a thing to feel shameful about, embarrassed, and feel like we needed to handle alone. Now don't get me wrong, although we have come a long way, there is still much more work to be done on the front of normalizing, openly supporting, and accepting mental health challenges whilst seeking help when needed.

On the contrary, physical health has, for several decades, been something openly encouraged to be worked on. We often share with others when we attend the gym, we encourage friends and family to move with us as a group activity (i.e. going on walks, dancing, yoga), and we never feel ashamed or secretive about when we want to work on our physical health.

Why the difference? Why do we feel proud about working on one, yet, like there is something "wrong" when we want to work on the other? Why do we preemptively work on our physical wellbeing without anything being wrong, but don't do the same with our mental health until experiencing a challenge? After all, the brain, the part of us responsible for firing all the neurons and balancing the chemistry that impacts our mood, decision-making, emotional processing and output, is part of the body too. So if we think of working on our mental health as just working on our brain, shouldn't that be viewed as constructive, not problematic? Would we feel ashamed for working on a bicep or a glute?

In the midst of all this societal judgement, we have somehow landed in a place where we often prioritize one over the other. Whether it be due to differing social stigmas, lack of time, finances, access to resources, or whatever other hundreds of barriers that currently exist, one tends to take a back seat to the other. However, research shows that mental health and physical health, mind and body, have a strong existing relationship (Kim et al., 2012). Ideally, we would work to a place of understanding that mind and body should be prioritized together, honouring and fostering their connection, rather than picking one over the other.

Working Toward Progress & Healing

The first step in fostering our mind-body connection is developing and furthering our understanding. Research has shown that this connection not only exists, but has detailed how improved physical health is associated with improved mental health (and same for worsened physical health being associated with worsened mental health) (Kim et al., 2012). Additionally, improved mental health has been shown to decrease harmful behaviours, such as substance use, self-harm, aggressive actions, which in turn has a positive impact on physical health (Ohrnberger et al., 2017).

One study highlights the association between mental health and chronic diseases. Huang et al., (2023) discusses how people experiencing chronic illnesses were more likely to experience negative mental health, and additionally, people experiencing mental health challenges have been associated with a higher likelihood of chronic ailments, poorer prognosis, and increased morality rates. Studies have even linked perceiving pain and other somatic experiences with being a direct result of mental illnesses (Blumensohn et al., 2002) (Onwumere et al., 2022). There is a lot of literature that continues to further break down the complex relationship of mind and body, and I encourage you to read it at your own leisure.

Once we start to conceptually understand that relationship, we can begin to explore some practical steps. However, a friendly little reminder first (this is something I find very important to bring into my practice, and conversations in general) - we will not always be in a place where we can work on the mind and body as equally deserving entities, and that is OKAY.

Now you may be thinking “did you not say earlier that we need to work toward viewing mind and body as an equal connection?”, and you are right. The key part is WORK TOWARD. It will not happen right away. It will take time. It will be a process. One may fall behind the other, both may completely derail, we may flip back and forth between the two; whatever the case may be (LOST reference for any fellow fans), it is important to always ground ourselves in the reality that we are all humans. We are flawed, imperfect people, and it is okay to not do things "perfectly". What we should aim to be mindful of is this: how can we work each day toward being closer to where we want to be, than where we are today - if you can carry that mindset, than you are already at a great starting point.

Moving into putting all the above mumbo jumbo into practice (and probably the part most people have tried to scroll ahead to - hey, no judgment), here are some things you can do to foster that mind-body relationship into the besties they deserve to be.

• First? Start off small. Make a small goal, or small step, or come up with a small idea. Maybe it's reading this blog, or inquiring about a service, or taking a small walk around your house when you are used to sitting down all day. It can truly be anything. Be kind to yourself and remember it does not have to be a huge thing.

• Reflect on, and identify, what areas of your current mind-body connection you want to work on? Maybe it's improving mood, increasing energy, feeling less stiff, having more mobility. It is your mind, your body, and you choose what you need to work on to feel closer to a more healed version of you.

• Play around with the balance you want to have. How often do you feel you want (or need) to work on things that more directly impact the mind? How often for things that more directly impact the body? How often on things that are more clearly linked to both? It is totally up to you to choose how you balance different activities. This is something that you should play around with until you land in something that feels right.

• Check in with yourself along the journey. People often find something that works for them and feel they need to endlessly stick with that routine (and there is no shade if that floats your boat). But we are constantly changing, growing, and learning, and that can impact where we are at, what works for us, and what our needs are. Do yourself a favour, and do a monthly self-evaluation to see what may or may not need to be modified.

• Connect with the professionals. It is great if you have the tools at home and are able to support yourself in all the ways you need. But it can also be so significantly helpful to connect with a professional to potentially engage in additional healing methods you may not have considered before. Book that massage to experience a deeper physical release; reach out to that physiotherapy and learn ways to heal your body; meet with that psychotherapist and see if you walk away with new coping strategies; professionals are there to help you so you don't have to do it alone, because you should never have to be alone.

  
  

We're Here When You Need

Prioritizing your mental health and physical health is an investment in your overall well-being. By working toward both and understanding their connection, you allow yourself the opportunity to heal in a more holistic way that honours the whole self. At Cura Mental Health & Wellness, we understand the importance of the mind-body connection, and work to provide support that is mindful of this connection, while being aware of the unique and different bodies, experiences, and goals each of our clients come in with. We work to offer services that can support this connection, and make it easier for our clients to work on all areas of themselves that get them to the ideal place in which they want to be. Check out our services to book, or contact us to learn more.

References

Blumensohn, R., Ringler, D., & Eli, I. (2002). Pain perception in patients with schizophrenia. The Journal of nervous and mental disease, 190(7), 481-483.

Huang, Y., Loux, T., Huang, X., & Feng, X. (2023). The relationship between chronic diseases and mental health: A cross-sectional study. Mental Health & Prevention, 32, 200307.

Kim, Y. S., Park, Y. S., Allegrante, J. P., Marks, R., Ok, H., Cho, K. O., & Garber, C. E. (2012). Relationship between physical activity and general mental health. Preventive medicine, 55(5), 458-463.

Ohrnberger, J., Fichera, E., & Sutton, M. (2017). The relationship between physical and mental health: A mediation analysis. Social science & medicine, 195, 42-49

Onwumere, J., Stubbs, B., Stirling, M., Shiers, D., Gaughran, F., Rice, A. S., ... & Scott, W. (2022). Pain management in people with severe mental illness: an agenda for progress. Pain, 163(9), 1653-1660.