Think About What You’re Thinking About
While our focus as chiropractors is primarily on physical health, our health care model is one that operates on the foundational belief that all of the body’s systems are intricately connected. This includes a close connection between your mental health and your physical health! Your mind impacts your body and your body impacts your mind.
Mental Stress = Physical Symptoms
Have you ever been nervous before a big presentation, performance, or event and experienced knots in your stomach, a loss of appetite, or even something like vomiting or diarrhea? This is a perfect and very common example of how something that was on your mind impacted your health directly.
But the mind/body connection can be more subtle as well. Depression, for example, can lead to brain fog, headaches, and fatigue. Anxiety can show up as tightness in your shoulders, TMJ, and carbohydrate cravings.
To Improve Your Mental Health, Start Here
While there are many ways to improve your mental health (such as meditation, prayer, exercising, eating a balanced diet, etc.), the best place to start is often the most overlooked: the simple practice of awareness.
To put it simply, begin to think about what you’re thinking about. When you experience a racing mind, heightened anxiety, nervousness, or low mood, begin to ask yourself questions in those moments like:
What type of thoughts are filling my mind?
What was I thinking about prior to feeling this way? Was there a trigger?
How would I describe how my brain feels? Crowded? Chaotic? Sad? Spinning? Tired?
Where am I holding tension in my body? Are my shoulders up around my ears?
If I’m experiencing negative thoughts, what could I do at this moment to redirect them?
Simply becoming aware of where your mind is at–what you’re thinking about, how it’s impacting your physical posture, if your thoughts are negative or positive–is a crucial step in taking ownership of your mental health.
Rewire Your Brain
Believe it or not, it is entirely possible to rewire your brain! While it takes some concerted effort, your brain is incredibly pliable and will respond to repeated “training” in how to slow down, operate from a place of calm rather than chaos, and think more positively.
Simply begin by thinking about what you’re thinking about, and then make some observations from there. For example, maybe you find that you often get an overwhelmed brain at night right before bed. A calming bedtime routine could be helpful. Or perhaps you find yourself feeling stressed by early morning notifications pouring into your phone. Setting a “phone-free” hour in the morning might be a great strategy to employ.
The more you start becoming aware of the way your mind works, the more you’ll be able to set yourself up with the tools and practices for optimal mental health…and in turn, optimal physical health too!
