Mind Body Connection

The mind body connection is part of the unique human experience. The mind body connection is a term that reflects the idea that our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and experiences impact our bodies and physical experiences. When mental health symptoms are worsened, it can heighten a person’s sensation of pain and reduce the efficacy of their immune system against illness. Also, those with numerous experiences of trauma are more likely to have mental and physical health issues. Conversely, how we treat our bodies can influence our mental health, positively or negatively. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise all play a vital role in mental well-being. Many of us are familiar with the experience of being hangry – or hungry and angry – a term which in and of itself illustrates this idea that our body’s internal experience can impact our mind, namely mood. Let’s review some ways to nurture your mind body connection, using the DBT skill of ABC PLEASE as a framework. ABC PLEASE stands for:

A – Accumulate Positive Experiences

B – Build Mastery

C – Cope Ahead

PL – Treat Physical illness

E – Eat a Balanced Diet

A – Avoid Mood-Altering Substances

S – Maintain Good Sleep

E – Exercise regularly

Your Mind

Do enjoyable activities. It is important that you make time for leisurely, pleasurable activities in your life. One sign of depression is anhedonia, or the inability to experience joy when doing things that you may typically enjoy when you are feeling well. The more time you spend doing activities you enjoy, the more time your brain spends experiencing positive emotions and pumping out those neurotransmitters that promote positive thinking!

Do things that make you feel capable! When we complete tasks that we feel good at, it can help us feel more confident. Find a new hobby – like building model cars or hiking. Each time you master something more difficult, start a new project that is slightly harder. Spending time doing activities that make us feel competent builds our self-esteem and therefore positive thinking.

Think about and plan how you will cope with hard experiences. Practicing your coping skills when you are feeling well is really important to helping your coping skills be effective when you need them most. If you know about a stressful situation coming down the pipeline, plan what coping skills you will use or who you will seek support from to manage the stress.

Your Body

If you are sick, seek medical attention! It is important that if you are not feeling well, to treat your body with extra care and kindness. Lingering illness can negatively impact our moods simply because we don’t feel well, we are isolated from our loved ones, and we may miss work or social experiences, leading to more stress.  See a doctor for medical treatment or medications that may help you feel better!

Eat a balanced diet. It is important to balance health with joy – this means making sure you eat nutrient rich foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean meats to meet your body’s needs, while also allowing yourself to enjoy a little treat here and there. Keeping yourself from foods you enjoy completely is not sustainable and can decrease mood! Besides, think about it – if you keep yourself from eating a handful of chips but are craving them, how often have you found yourself then going and eating the whole bag? It is better to indulge a little and watch the portion sizes than restrict and binge later.

Refrain from drug and alcohol use. Often people go to happy hour or go out with friends to try and lift their mood. Frankly, alcohol is a depressant. If your mood is already low, using alcohol is not going to do you any favors. Drugs, including marijuana, are also mood-altering and can interfere with your body’s ability to manage your emotions, worsen mood swings, and exacerbate anxiety. Some may use drugs and alcohol to numb themselves, which leads to avoidance from whatever is causing their anxiety. This may help in the short term, but it will actually exacerbates anxiety long term due to continued avoidance. Facing your stressors rather than avoiding them with mood altering substances will help reduce anxiety. Consider abstaining from alcohol if you are not feeling well mentally and physically.

Keep a regular sleep schedule. NIH recommends adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day can help regulate your sleep and, subsequently, your mood. If you have difficulty falling asleep, try putting your phone away about one hour before you go to bed. Tossing and turning? Don’t just sit in bed, it will only make you more frustrated. Get out of bed and do a non-electronic activity, meaning don’t use anything with a screen. The blue light emitted from a screen can further interfere with your circadian rhythm, or your body’s natural internal clock that tells the difference between night and day.

Get your body moving. Regular exercise helps regulate your mood as well and is like a natural anti-depressant. Exercise helps your body manage extreme emotions and remain resilient in the face of obstacles. This doesn’t necessarily mean doing high intensity exercise seven days a week, but can look like taking a short walk at lunch or with your dog after work. Maybe you take your kiddo to the playground and chase them for 30 minutes. It doesn’t have to be classic “exercise” – be creative!

In conclusion, nurturing the mind-body connection is essential to achieving overall well-being. The reciprocal relationship between mental and physical health means that how we care for our minds directly affects our bodies and vice versa. By incorporating practices like ABC PLEASE, we can foster this connection through simple, everyday habits. Prioritizing positive experiences, mastering new skills, and planning for challenging moments strengthens our minds, while maintaining physical health through proper nutrition, sleep, and exercise builds resilience. By consciously attending to both aspects of our being, we can create a more balanced, fulfilling life.