The mind and the body are closely linked and affect each other. This is not the same as saying your physical symptoms are 'all in your head' or not real. It means that your thoughts and feelings can affect your body and physical symptoms can have an effect on what you think, how you feel and what you do. Julie's story is a great example of what we call the mind-body connection. This means that our thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and attitudes can positively or negatively affect our biological functioning. In other words, our minds can affect how healthy our bodies are!
Practices such as progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness-based stress reduction, meditation, mindfulness, biofeedback, and yoga, are just a few ways to strengthen body-mind connections. Positive psychology interventions have included mind-body integration techniques so far.Psychologists use the mind-body connection to work closely with other health care providers to assess the lifestyles, attitudes and family support of those who do become ill. They can help us understand the nature and treatment of our illness and create a plan to help maximize psychological well-being.
The effects of anxiety on the body. ... In the short term, anxiety increases your breathing and heart rate, concentrating blood flow to your brain, where you need it. This very physical response is preparing you to face an intense situation. If it gets too intense, however, you might start to feel lightheaded and nauseous.In other words, biological processes affect thoughts and feelings, and cognitions affect body states. ... The body's underlying activity occurring in the background of consciousness affected thoughts and feelings. In the same way that the body affects the mind, however, the mind is capable of immense effects on the body.
Indeed, stress symptoms can affect your body, your thoughts and feelings, and your behavior. Being able to recognize common stress symptoms can help you manage them. Stress that's left unchecked can contribute to many health problems, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.