Healing Yourself By Healing Your Body

Written By: Erika Barrera

We often imagine healing to be a magical, linear process. However, true healing

holistically combines the wellness of the mind, heart, and body, and that can take a

lot of hard work.

Understanding how the three are intertwined may be difficult, but the link between

body and mind has actually been scientifically proven by studies around the world.

The PAAH cites international programs that have revealed how physical activity

guidelines can reduce onset, incidence, and severity of depression, while also

mitigating stress and anxiety.

How does this happen? Let’s take a closer look at the connections.

Mental and physical health

Survivors have long faced the stigma that trauma can simply be resolved by a

stronger mentality. Only after years of passionate lobbying and scientific discoveries

has society recognized the deeper connection between mental and physical health,

and how mental stress can literally make our bodies sick.

Trauma is the result of several biochemical reactions in the body. This thankfully also

means that healing can be a matter of undoing these biochemical reactions through

a range of options.

Exercise and mental health

We can start with movement. Exercise induces an increase in blood circulation to the

brain. This influences the HPA axis, affecting the control centers of motivation and

mood such as the limbic system or the amygdala. Scientists posit that this is how

exercise affects the physiologic reactivity to stress.

As your lung capacity increases through exercise, along with your muscles’

endurance, your body will tire less easily. This helps improve your mood, while

increasing mental alertness and also allowing you to get better sleep.

Of course, exercise isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. For example, exercise programs

by Verywell Mind consider how people with PTSD may associate the bodily arousal of

exercise with anxiety. However, a well-thought-out program that builds over the

course of 12 weeks or more can lead to a significant decrease in this and similar

symptoms.

Healthy eating for a healthy mind

Traumatic experiences can also have direct gastrointestinal effects. Trauma affects

your body’s microbiome, and can even damage your small intestine, leading to a

difficulty absorbing nutrients.

It’s easy to rely on comfort meals that are sugary, fatty, or salty, for the rush of

serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. However, trauma specialist Dr. Gordon’s

motivation to skip these meals comes from the fact that these are short-term gains.

The long-term downside of leaving trauma unaddressed actually manifests in a

severe drop of these neurotransmitters, while the primary stress hormone cortisol

increases.

This can result in a greater reliance on unhelpful food choices. That’s why it’s best to

focus on diets that are packed with nutrients and good bacteria that improve overall

health, such as whole foods, organic foods, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Once again, Dr. Gorden recommends a balanced approach to making dietary

changes: not through rigidity, but via a healthy direction. This is echoed by nutrition

and behavioral scientists, registered dieticians, and the clinical researchers who

created the individualized weight loss plans on WeightWatchers. Everyone’s bodies

and experiences are different, and we each have unique needs, budgets, and even

tastes that need to be taken into consideration.

Focusing on individual needs ensures that your diet is specifically tailored to your

health, and supplemented by exercise that can alleviate symptoms such as low self-

esteem and social withdrawal.

The importance of lifestyle choices

Traumatic experiences may be out of our control, but the power to heal ourselves

lies with us. Healing must start with a conscious choice.

Fortunately, even simple acts like taking one step outside to eating one healthy

snack can be part of the Finding Confidence program. As discussed previously,

healing cannot be found in the same environment that broke you, but in the journey

to a new environment.

You can start today through our life coaching and programs. Together, true healing

can become a collective, holistic journey of mind, heart, and body. If you are

interested in Life Coaching or following a Personalized Program do visit the rest of

the website.