Wellness Wednesday: Wellness from Within: Nourishing the Body and the Mind

Wellness from within starts by understanding the strong connection that exists between the body and the mind. Strengthening this mind-body connection is linked to increased resilience: a tool that follows us through every life stage. 

Our emotions can manifest into physical reactions. For example, when our minds experience a stressful event, the brain can release cortisol, a natural response to stress, or oxytocin, a feel good response. How we learn to react to change is the key to managing daily challenges and finding balance. Read more about the significance of the mind-body connection through Calm.

When you’re feeling disconnected, performing a simple body scan provides the opportunity to briefly reconnect with yourself from the ground up. By noticing bodily sensations, you can start to tune in to your physical response to some underlying cause. Maybe right now you aren’t feeling as stressed as you were a few weeks ago, but you’re still recovering from the physical toll of a demanding event. 

As we transition into March, we start to think more actively about our sleep habits in light of National Sleep Awareness Month. Luckily, quality of sleep is enhanced through the body scan alongside helping you fall asleep more easily. 

We can broaden our definition of the mind-body relationship to incorporate the gut-brain connection. The brain can create direct physical responses in response to an event. Have you ever felt your stomach contract right before a major presentation, or felt nauseous at the thought of walking into a job interview? 

These are both examples of physical reactions to stress, and it goes both ways. Just as your thoughts can impact your gut, your gut can impact your body. In fact, 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal system: a.k.a the gut. 

Serotonin, among other key hormones, can be interpreted as either good or bad, and our bodies react to them very similarly. Interpreting our bodily sensations is greatly dependent on our own perceptions, and a scenario that may be exciting to one person can be scary for another. 

Stage fright, for example, can give two people the same rush: dilated pupils, racing heartbeat, tingling sensations and that feeling of butterflies in your stomach, yet one person may state the associated feeling is excitement as opposed to fear or resentment. The ability to name our emotions holds power; naming it can be an effective tool to help us feel in control of our mental state and further contribute to our emotional regulation.  

One of the Wellness and Recreation Center’s services, Wellness Coaching, is a free resource for students that embraces mindfulness as a tool to help you achieve your goals. 

“Mindfulness techniques encourage clients to be present and aware of their mental and physical states. This helps them stay grounded and balanced while working toward their personal goals,” said wellness coach Khadeeja Ali Syeda.  

While coaching is not a replacement or alternative to therapy, a peer-to-peer experience can add perspective to your daily challenges. We hope you feel a heightened sense of connection with your inner self after exploring the connection between your physical and emotional states. Nourish your mind with positive thoughts, and watch yourself prosper.