{"id":59913,"date":"2018-09-23T20:58:13","date_gmt":"2018-09-24T04:58:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=59913"},"modified":"2018-09-26T19:25:47","modified_gmt":"2018-09-27T03:25:47","slug":"5-approaches-to-combat-stress-through-a-healthier-mind-body-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-approaches-to-combat-stress-through-a-healthier-mind-body-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Approaches to Combat Stress Through a Healthier Mind-Body Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

To accomplish the highest level of health, it is important to know and accept that the\u00a0mind and body<\/a>\u00a0are tightly intertwined. This concept itself is far from new, but knowing how to leverage the connection is becoming increasingly intriguing.<\/p>\n

More than a century ago, Harvard psychologist Walter Bradford Cannon drew people’s attention to the mind-body connection when he described the\u00a0physiologic changes<\/a>\u00a0during the fight-or-flight response to stress. Forty years later, endocrinologist Hans Selye expanded on Cannon\u2019s work by describing the general adaptation response to stress. In doing so, he touched on the impact of stress on the physiologic system during various stages \u2014 alarm, resistance, and physical exhaustion (and even death) if the stressor exceeds the body\u2019s capacity.<\/p>\n

The revelations of the mind-body connection continue to surface as new studies and research bring more detailed insights about the phenomenon. In fact, enormous amounts of data corroborate the bidirectional mind-body relationship, such as the connections between anxiety and physical pain,\u00a0depression and heart disease<\/a>, and\u00a0depression and anxiety<\/a>\u00a0with gut inflammation.<\/p>\n

With clear indicators that stress infiltrates the body on the cellular level, it\u2019s important for you to tend to your mental health\u00a0now<\/i>\u00a0in order to see\u00a0improved\u00a0<\/i>mental\u00a0and physical outcomes in the near future.<\/p>\n

Stress at the Cellular Level<\/b><\/p>\n

In 2018, biologist Martin Picard and neuroendocrinologist Bruce McEwen unveiled the potential reasons behind the body\u2019s intimate relationship with the mind that dug deep \u2014 tapping into the\u00a0cellular level<\/a>. They found that stress impacts the cell\u2019s energy factories, also known as the mitochondria. These tiny organelles produce energy in almost every cell in the body (except red blood cells). And when a cell’s energy production gets hit, so does the entire body.<\/p>\n

Because these energy factories interact intimately with one another within the cell, stress on the cellular level easily compounds. At first, the mitochondria try to correct the cellular changes caused by stress, but they can be overwhelmed and forced to surrender. With this sort of stress-induced cellular numbness, toxic free radicals accumulate and damage cellular DNA. In turn, when the mitochondria cannot produce the energy that the cell needs, a waterfall of physical ailments surface, such as fatigue, skin diseases, heart disease, accelerated aging, and more.<\/p>\n

In my clinical practice, I have seen stress take a toll on the physical bodies of many patients. For example, after the death of her husband, a patient became increasingly stressed and precipitously developed dementia. Another patient, who always made light of his stress, developed Parkinson\u2019s disease. It’s clear that psychological stress eventually damages the body, and the mitochondrial hypothesis explains why.<\/p>\n

5 Steps to Improve Your Mind-Body Connection and Combat Cellular Fatigue<\/b><\/p>\n

Consider the following techniques as ways to recalibrate your mind-body connection for better health.<\/p>\n

1. Utilize mindfulness-based stress reduction.<\/b>
\nWhen it comes to effectively managing stress and seeing results on the cellular level,\u00a0mindfulness practices<\/a>\u00a0can be very helpful. To be mindful, close your eyes, focus your attention on your breath, and ignore your mental chatter. If your attention drifts away, gently bring it back to your breath.\u00a0Studies show that mindfulness might have many effects on your biology,\u00a0too. It can change your\u00a0brain’s response to stress<\/a>, decreasing some of the stress hormones and, therefore,\u00a0protecting your mitochondria<\/a>.<\/p>\n

2. Learn about transcendental meditation.<\/b>
\nTranscendental meditation (TM) has been shown to lessen the burden of stress.\u00a0The practice of TM requires a teacher and involves repeating a mantra (a short phrase) over and over again. If your attention wavers, you gently start the repetition again. TM\u00a0reduces stress, depression, and burnout<\/a>. At a cellular level, this act of meditation can also\u00a0decrease the oxidative stress<\/a>\u00a0that damages cells.<\/p>\n

3. Change up the\u00a0scenery.<\/span><\/b>
\nIf you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed, one of the most immediate steps you can take is removing yourself from the environment.\u00a0Go on a short vacation\u00a0\u2014\u00a0leisure and free time have the ability to distract people from stress and boost their mood. Interestingly, vacations can\u00a0change gene expression<\/a>\u00a0in a way that improves stress regulation and immune function.\u00a0Venturing out to a green space can also help reset your mind-body connection and clear your head. Higher levels of green space lower stress levels and\u00a0improve cortisol levels<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 one of the stress hormones that\u00a0impacts\u00a0mitochondria.<\/p>\n

4. Learn to unfocus.<\/b>
\nTake a 15-minute booster break at work to recharge or use one of the unfocus methods that I describe in my\u00a0recent book<\/a>.\u00a0Unfocusing includes such techniques as napping for up to 15 minutes, which will improve your concentration for up to three hours. Especially if you have not slept well, a nap can be considerably restorative because poor sleep negatively\u00a0impacts mitochondrial DNA<\/a>. Also, naps might decrease the stress-inducing impact of\u00a0cortisol on mitochondria<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Feed your cells.<\/b><\/p>\n

Although\u00a0it might be common knowledge, don’t forget that eating well and exercising can do wonders when it comes to decreasing stress. In fact,\u00a0diet-induced obesity can\u00a0worsen mitochondrial health<\/a>, and too much sugar causes similar effects. Appropriate calorie restriction might improve antioxidant defense and oxidative stress, thereby protecting mitochondria. Furthermore, taking an exercise break \u2014 such as a brisk walk \u2014 in the middle of your day has the power to\u00a0strengthen mitochondrial health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Think of what you might be doing to every cell in your body by not taking the initiative to combat the stressors in your life. Do you really want to jeopardize your future health by not acting today? The mind-body connection shouldn’t be underestimated. As much as it can wreak havoc when unbalanced, the same connection \u2014 when healthy \u2014 can also bring harmony to a once-stressful life.<\/p>\n

\n

Srini Pillay, M.D., is the CEO of\u00a0NeuroBusiness Group<\/a>\u00a0and the award-winning author of numerous books, including \u201cTinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind<\/a>,\u201d \u201cLife Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear,\u201d and \u201cYour Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great Leaders.\u201d\u00a0<\/i>He also serves as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and teaches in the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To accomplish the highest level of health, it is important to know and accept that the\u00a0mind and body\u00a0are tightly intertwined. This concept itself is far from new, but knowing how to leverage the connection is becoming increasingly intriguing. More than … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12814,"featured_media":59917,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[32,210,6],"tags":[4654,306,6751],"yoast_head":"\n5 Approaches to Combat Stress Through a Healthier Mind-Body Connection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To accomplish the highest level of health, it is important to know and accept that the\u00a0mind and body\u00a0are tightly intertwined. 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