Your body really matters, it has a huge impact on your mental health. That might seem an odd thing for a psychotherapist to say, but the days of treating our minds as something separate from our bodies are long gone.
We know that the brain and body are intimately interconnected, one example is the many ways the microbiome in our gut influences and is influenced by our brain. We even know we exchange bacteria with those we spend time with, so we are affecting each other’s wellbeing at a physical level, not just through what we say and do.
This gives a clue to a powerful way to maximise emotional well-being. Look after your body! Eat a balanced, varied diet. Stay hydrated. Exercise and keep active. Get sufficient sleep. Avoid taking in things that don’t feel good, either nutritionally or emotionally.
It may be predictable advice, but really, you are more than just a disembodied consciousness.The quality of your life depends on the way you treat your body. But, it’s not always easy to take care of yourself physically, psychologically it can be tough.
If you have patterns you’d like to change in your relationship to your body, psychotherapy may help. Just trying harder may not do it, or you’d have cracked it by now
