{"id":59832,"date":"2020-08-05T16:54:23","date_gmt":"2020-08-05T16:54:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.soothe.com\/?p=59832"},"modified":"2024-06-05T16:08:22","modified_gmt":"2024-06-05T16:08:22","slug":"harnessing-the-power-of-the-mind-body-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.soothe.com\/articles\/harnessing-the-power-of-the-mind-body-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Harnessing the Power of the Mind-Body Connection for Overall Well Being"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Research has continually shown there is a strong link between mental health and physical health. You may have heard it called the mind-body connection. Yet many people only focus on one or the other in their wellness journey. When it comes to overall wellness, there\u2019s so much more to it than eating right or meditating a few times a week. Because August is National Wellness Month, we\u2019re bringing attention to the powerful connection between your mind and your body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What constitutes a healthy lifestyle?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

So many of us claim we\u2019re trying to live a healthy lifestyle, but what does that actually mean? We often associate health with physical wellness: diet, exercise, weight and appearance. However, a healthy lifestyle should ideally consist of habits that promote both physical and mental wellness. That\u2019s not to say that maintaining a healthy weight and eating clean aren\u2019t important! As with most things in life, wellness is all about balance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a study on the impact of physical activity on mental wellbeing<\/a>, researchers found that adding exercise to a daily routine actually increased feelings of happiness. In the study, individuals who started the intervention with little physical activity benefited the most from the lifestyle change: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe findings revealed…a strong, positive correlation between increase in physical activity and increase in mental wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>Marc Ashley Harris, Cardiff Metropolitan University<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lifestyle plays a critical role in our overall wellness. And turns out, there is actual truth to the fact that exercise can make you happy! So next time you\u2019re feeling a little down, try to add some movement to your day. Yoga and walking are great low-impact exercises. Or you can get sweaty with some HIIT and kickboxing routines. Establishing a regular exercise routine is a great idea to help maintain that positive mood boost throughout the week.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Happy = Healthy<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Now let\u2019s talk about the mental health side of the equation. Being happy isn\u2019t just about not<\/em> being sad or depressed. There are many factors that contribute to mental wellness. In fact, this research study found<\/a> that the simple absence of negativity doesn’t necessarily make us happy or healthy. By engaging in behaviors that lead to positive feelings, we actually can improve our physical health as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe found that factors such as optimism, life satisfaction and happiness are associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of such factors as a person\u2019s age, socioeconomic status, smoking status or body weight.\u201d<\/p>Lead author Julia Boehm<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What does this mean for your wellness journey? When you\u2019re working to improve your mental wellbeing, it\u2019s not just about banishing negative feelings. You also need to cultivate the positive feelings to get that happy, satisfied effect. For example, instead of simply not engaging with negative self-talk, turn those negative comments into positive affirmations. It may be helpful to make a list: put your habits that result in negative feelings on one side, and habits that enhance your positivity on the other. Then, try to trade one negative habit for a positive habit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember, it\u2019s ok to have bad days \u2014 it happens to all of us! A few days of sadness or stress isn’t going to undo years of healthy habits. Having your positive behavior list can help you get yourself out of a rut, too. Whenever you\u2019re feeling less than awesome, engage in some positivity-enhancing behavior to light up your mind-body connection!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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