Is Your Mind Making You Sick?
By Genevieve Cunningham
The mind is an incredibly powerful tool. We use it every day -- all day long. For most of us, the mind is something we use, quite ironically, without really thinking about it. It just works for us when we need it. While this can be really convenient, the downside of a mind that works without conscious effort is that it can get away from us. It can take us down a negative path, and in doing so, it can make us incredibly sick. If you want to be in the best health, you have to take care of the mind just as much as the body. To help you in your best health efforts, take a look at how the mind and body are connected, plus a few tips for keeping them in tip-top shape.
The Mind-Body Connection
The mind and body are intricately connected. The mind tells the body what to do and how to do it -- whether it's telling it consciously or subconsciously. When the mind is sick, rundown, or feeling less than its best, that feeling spills over into the body. Feeling down in the mind can lead to various aches and pains, illness, and being generally unwell in the body as a whole. While some illnesses can certainly affect only one or the other, it's important to pay close attention to that mind-body connection if you want to be healthy all over.
How to Strengthen Mental Health
To strengthen mental health, there are a few steps you can take on your own. Make sure you're getting enough sleep and regular movement. Though these seem body specific, they greatly affect the health of the mind. You should also get some time in nature, prioritize your obligations, make some time for yourself. And of course, if need be, contact a professional to get the care you need.
How to Strengthen Physical Health
Strengthening and improving your physical health requires its own specific measures. While sleep and movement can help with this aspect of your health as well, you may also need to improve your diet, take supplements, stretch every day, and see your doctor for checkups. Physical health improvements might feel a little easier to manage, as the results and progress can be seen by both ourselves and by others.
The mind and body work together. If we feel overly negative or down in our minds, it can certainly lead to sickness, pain, or feeling down in our bodies as well. Focus on strengthening and improving both mental and physical well-being so that you can feel your best every day from here on out.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in San Jose, Calif.