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.

Running on Empty

The important part about feeling burnt out is to recognize when it is coming on. Typically the signs for me would be a lackluster attitude towards the administrative side to counseling such as writing up my notes and evaluations, taking payment or calling new clients back, when previously I felt passionate towards the administrative contribution of building my private practice. I also notice that I am wishing for weekends to come sooner rather than later, or finding myself taking longer times to get the day started and waiting till the last minute to get going.

I have to regularly remind myself that taking a break to create a physical or mental distance is not reflective of my work ethic or whether or not I value helping others. It just means I am tired, worn out and spent. I have had to learn to rest when I am tired through:

1. managing my mental health with therapy, meditation, or journaling to prevent spiraling into the darkest depths

2. creating time to be outdoors or active in a way I haven’t made time for it recently like dancing or swimming

3. detaching from external negative stimuli, my mantra being Not my Circus, Not my Monkeys, or allowing grace

4. compassion for myself when things do not unfold as expected or planned

Perhaps the most pertinent coping skill for me is turning down the volume on self-judgment for external limitations on getting where I feel I “should” be by now. Some would say this is giving up or letting go of our standards; to me, it is being selective and distinguishing what is important and deserving of investing our emotional energy into. Being able to distinguish the values that require this energy is a strength. Owning where I am and my limitations when it is not where I want to be is very uncomfortable.

I have learned that taking the time to practice the pause, will help me to regenerate my emotional, mental and physical energy as well as allow room to reintroduce the point of why I chose this career or life path. We continue to grow and evolve with a shift in perception with every new experience or goal, so I try my best to accept and enjoy each day from a moment to moment basis. By being mindful of the various moments that constitute an entire day, I am then able to see the full range in the reel of pictures.

To manage life when it all feels overwhelming, start by becoming more aware of the signs of burnout for yourself. What does that look like, how does it feel physically, and what kinds of toll it takes on the physical and mental aspects of daily life. One way of recognizing what is happening is to stop what you are doing and take 5 deep breaths before starting analysis. HALT is an acronym commonly used in the field of psychotherapy for awareness and time to take action. Hungry Angry Lonely and Tired. When you are dealing with more than one of these symptoms at the same time, you are your own worst enemy and will be the victim of your subconscious. Self- deprecating messages run rampant and the likelihood of responding to a situation instead of reacting is slim to none. Therefore, when you notice more than one of these being off, stop what you are doing (HALT) and take care of what you can in the moment. If you are hungry, grab a snack. If you feel lonely, reach out to a friend, colleague or loved one. If you are angry, write down all the feelings behind the anger and a different reason behind each emotion to process it quickly and be able to set the anger aside. Once those needs are met, there will be more of a feeling of stability before you are able to carve out time to take a break.

Sometimes you don’t realize you are drowning when you are trying to be everyone else’s anchor. Living in a society where being on the go and achieving the next goal is glamourized, it is important to recognize the need for daily self care and a monthly mental health day to maintain our own sense of passion for life as well as to prevent burnout.

1. The goal for a mental health day is to completely check out from everything that keeps us tethered to our regular sense of reality. For me that would be my work phone, emails, social media and anyone that feels as though they take more emotional energy than they invest in us. Remember, taking time for yourself doesn't mean me first, it means, me too.

2. Find total escapism. We love vacations because of the ability to leave it all behind and as much as I would love to hop on a plane to the nearest beach once a month, my life, career and family responsibilities do not allow for that... just yet hahah. In the meantime, we must be able to create a space that feels like our own little hideaway. It could be a spa day, to get hair, nails and massage done, or it could be a home spa day where there are specific masks, polishes or pampering routines can be completed that is reserved only for that day once a month. I have a basket of bath oils, skin care treatments, wine and candles that is reserved JUST for this day. During the following weeks after my mental health day, I buy random goodies in anticipation of my next self care day. There are also specific dedicated areas in my home that is JUST for me; my library and my outdoor screened in porch. The children are not allowed in my library because that is my place to escape from the world when I am reading. I will light candles, make a cup of steaming, delicious coffee and the babies (Teens NOT babies) are aware that it is my time and only to come find me if there is a catastrophe.

3. Allow for activities that ignite our passions. I adore dancing. Learning new dances or practicing routines that I have choreographed. I will make time to feel the excitement of just losing myself in the music whether it is waltzing around the living room with my cat, or taking a weekend lesson at the local community center or if I am really high on life, I may find an outdoor club and dance the night away. Find physical activities that remind you of the joy in being alive.

Remember, the point of living is to live. Feel the emotions; good, bad, exhilarating or ugly. Allow yourself to remember that success isn’t about pushing yourself to the breaking point, we can’t enjoy all the hard work we put in if we are too drained and unwell from the effort.