The Marvelous Connection Between Your Mind, Emotions, and Health
Psychoneuroimmunology....this mouthful of a word is a mash up of psychology, neuroscience and immunology and it has been around since the late 1970's. To put it simply, psychoneuroimmunology is the study of how your thoughts and feelings can impact your overall health and well-being.
It is a well known fact that the stresses of life have an impact on our physical and mental health however despite that being basically common knowledge, we as a society, do very little to manage our stress and ultimately our health.
Stress is like a not-so-friendly dance partner that can throw your immune system off balance. When we encounter a stress in life our body naturally secretes more cortisol which is known as a stress hormone. Cortisol is meant to increase sugar, also called glucose, in the bloodstream. In times of stress, it enhances the brain's use of glucose and increases the availability of substances in the body that repair tissues. Once the stress has passed our cortisol levels are supposed to return to normal and we go on living life, however this isn’t the case with chronic stress.
When we stay chronically stressed the levels of cortisol stay elevated. Receptors located in our brain respond to this increased level of cortisol as a threat to our survival which causes dysregulation in the nervous system.
Your brain and the other systems of the body are like pen pals in the way that they are in constant communication, these messages come in the form of chemicals and signals that are sent through the nerves and blood stream. It is critical that this communication stays clear and concise when it doesn’t this is when we start to lose our health.
There are lots of things that you can do to combat the stresses of life and improve your health naturally. The first and easiest thing to do is watch the words you speak. Yup, you read that right…so simple yet one of the most difficult things to do but I promise it will have a huge impact!
Start to notice the subtle voice in your head that has a quiet, constant narrative of “I can’t do that”, “I’m not good at ____”, “I could never do something like that”. Confront that narrative that plays in your head, question if it is even true and replace those disempowering words with more inspiring phrases.
This sounds too good to be true, but studies have shown that you can actually boost your immune system function with positive emotions like joy and gratitude.
This also explains the “placebo” effect. The placebo effect is when positive results are achieved simply by belief that the “medicine” or “treatment” worked. The other side of that coin is the nocebo effect. The Nocebo effect is when negative thoughts make you feel worse. I have seen this first hand when working as a nurse and with my own family members; you can actually talk yourself into getting sick.
It bears repeating…your thoughts, words and beliefs that you tell yourself matter more than you know!!
Another way to improve your health by managing your stress is to try some simple relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation. Our nervous system is constantly scanning our environment looking for potential threats to our well-being. When we do activities that require us to be still and quiet like mediation or deep breathing it sends signals to our brain that indicate that we are safe. This sense of safety brings ease to the nervous system which allows the nervous system to properly regulate the systems of our body to the best of its ability.
Have you ever heard that laughter is the best medicine? There is some truth to that. Laughing releases “feel good” hormones like oxytocin. Oxytocin can induce anti-stress-like effects such as reduction of blood pressure and cortisol levels. It increases pain thresholds, and it promotes growth and healing. Other ways to increase the release of oxytocin include hugging/hand holding/cuddling, making eye contact and even taking a hot bath just to name a few.
The last piece of advice we have to manage your stress levels and improve your health is to stay active. Exercise is beneficial for both your body and your mind…this is also where chiropractic comes in.
Our brain needs 3 things to survive: oxygen, glucose and MOVEMENT!! Not just movement but proper movement.
When our spine isn’t moving properly it not only affects how well our brain and body are able to communicate through the network of nerves, but it can also cause us pain and disability. Think about a door hinge that isn’t tracking as good as it could. The door will still open and close but over time that poor movement is going to cause a problem with the door frame that will take longer and cost more to fix than it would have to just fix the problem when it was a little one.
Regular chiropractic care has been shown not only to keep you moving at your best, but it also directly impacts the nervous system in a way that brings ease and improves your health naturally.
By managing your stress and making chiropractic part of your regular routine you can take control of your health naturally and holistically!!
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