Wellness starts in your mind
The connection between emotional and physical health impacts daily life. Proper self-care keeps you feeling good inside and looking good outside.
Key takeaways:
A healthy or unhealthy emotional state affects your body’s physical health and vice versa.
Effective self-care helps strengthen the connection between your emotional and physical health.
Meditation, aromatherapy, and yoga are all forms of self-care that enhance the relationship between your mind and body.
It’s no secret that how you feel on the inside impacts how you look on the outside. Consider the blemish that popped up overnight after stressing about work all day or the dark bags under your eyes this morning because your child’s latest decisions kept you up through the night. These instances are examples of the mind-body connection at work and it impacts your daily life.
The mind-body connection refers to how psychological and social factors interact to affect physical changes in the body. In short, your emotional health directly affects your physical health.
Emotional health factors include:
The ability to manage your feelings effectively
How you speak to yourself
The ability to create and utilize coping skills
The quality of your relationships at work and home
Your overall psychological well-being
Caring for your emotional health is very important to how you physically look and feel. Self-care is vital for improving emotional health. Here is everything you need to know to create a compassionate, healthy mind-body connection to help you look and feel better than ever.
Go outside and play
Getting outside for an old-fashioned game of tag is not just for kids. Exercise benefits people of all ages and packs a powerful punch when it comes to healthy aging. Chemical changes happen in your brain when you get moving. Your levels of serotonin and dopamine – neurotransmitters that affect mood – increase and you get a burst of “feel good” emotions that stick around for a couple of hours, giving you a bright smile and sparkling eyes. You’ll also appreciate the physical health benefits of exercise, such as weight loss and toning, clearer skin, and more energy.
Cultivate inner tranquility
Being at peace with yourself is a crucial step in balancing the mind-body connection. Practices such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing relax the mind and slow racing thoughts. Meditation calms frazzled nerves, slows the heart rate, and lowers blood pressure by activating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Relaxation methods like these allow time for your mind and body to sync as you focus on breaths and what is around you. Your thoughts slow down to match your breath and movements, giving you space to center and regroup. They also offer several other health benefits, such as increased flexibility and strength.
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy uses aromatic plant extracts in a diffuser, as an incense, or as a candle to treat various disorders. Used while meditating, doing yoga, or just watching TV, the fragrance of these essential oils has a positive effect on our mood and emotional health. Sweet orange, peppermint, and grapefruit essential oils have an uplifting effect. Clary sage, lavender, and Roman chamomile perform as natural sedatives for a calming effect.
Supplement your diet
Dietary supplements help maintain good mental and physical health. Calcium supplements reduce bone loss and help keep them strong. Fish oils with omega-3 fatty acids are helpful for heart issue patients. Cannabinoid (CBD) supplements work with the body’s endocannabinoid system and are popular for their ability to lessen anxiety and stress symptoms. Supplements can ensure you get the proper amount of essential nutrients, especially if your diet is restricted.
Yoga
Yoga deepens our understanding of the link between our emotional state and our body. The mind-body connection is present all the time, whether we realize it or not. For example, when a runner chokes before a big competition, it’s his mind (the nerves he’s experiencing) that made his body go rigid. Any type of exercise should boost mood but yoga and its various poses can also produce a quieter, more introspective state of mind.
Write it down
Journaling is an effective way to get to know yourself, organize your thoughts, and work toward your goals. Many studies point to the rewards of regular journaling such as reduced anxiety, boosted mood, and even increased immunity. The very act of unloading the day's worries onto a piece of paper helps clarify the issues and stimulates creative new ideas. It also helps manage chronic pain and improve memory.
Spend time on yourself
It makes others feel good when you show them love so why not show yourself some? Taking care of the body you live in is an act of love that benefits your soul and physical health. Take a long bath and deep condition your hair. Give yourself a manicure and then stand back to admire your handy work. Spending time on your appearance will naturally make you look better but it also boosts your ego, self-esteem, and puts a pep in your step.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is a therapeutic technique that uses intense focus on the present situation to induce feelings of calmness and wellbeing. It is used in conjunction with yoga and meditation but also alone. A state of mindfulness lets you focus on what is right in front of you without judgment, allowing thoughts to pass without dwelling on them. It increases the mind-body connection as you learn to be more present and less trapped in racing, destructive thoughts.
Prioritize sleep
Fatigue is not helpful to the mind, body, or spirit. Prioritizing sleep ensures you get the rest you need, both physically and mentally. Your body recovers and repairs while you sleep. The same thing happens in your brain. You are rejuvenated. Sleep is so vital that our immune system is compromised without the proper amount and issues like anxiety and depression begin to appear. Essential oils like lavender are known for their calming, sleep-inducing effects, and using them in a diffuser while you drift off to sleep is a loving, tranquil practice.
Maintaining a healthy emotional state is crucial to staying physically fit and looking radiant. Proper self-care helps you better understand yourself and what is required to keep you happy and healthy. Practices like yoga, journaling, mediation, and aromatherapy turn your attention inward and help to strengthen the connection between your mind and body.
Reach out to an expert for answers to your questions
Balancing the mind-body connection is vital to maintaining good health. The Artistry of Essential Oils is a natural skincare and aromatherapy brand that formulates plant-based, non-toxic products to create mindfulness moments. Our focus is on educating people on the transformative emotional benefits of essential oils and how to integrate clean and natural products into every aspect of their life.
Get in touch with us today and discover the healing benefits of essential oils. Get 15% off when you subscribe to our website.