By Nicola Graham, Counsellor
The body and mind are inseparable dance partners in a lifelong routine. Many of us are gaining expertise in paying attention to the needs of our bodies, but the needs, quirks, demands and misperceptions of our minds can remain unexplored and unconscious. Consequently, our mind’s effects on our health can remain a stumbling block for many.
There’s plenty of opportunity here for another step forward in our health as we turn our attention subtly inward and start to choreograph a dance that optimizes and supports us.
The Waltz of Body and Mind
Sometimes the body mind waltz is graceful and supportive, sometimes they are stepping on each other’s toes. Chronic health conditions can result in mental health struggles, and poor mental health can contribute to physical symptom exacerbation, (Clarke & Currie, 2009).
Depression, for example, is more common in people with chronic illness, (World Health Organization, 2017). Anxiety can contribute its own set of physical symptoms, such as high blood pressure, palpitations, chest tightness, irritable bowel, diarrhea, nausea, headaches, sleep issues and a dysregulated immune system. Did you know that chronic noise exposure, such as traffic noise, increases your blood pressure and cardiovascular risk? (Munzel, 2018). How often have you succumbed to that cold you would usually fight off when under extra work stress?
Biology is the hidden choreographer here. Chronic inflammation, pain, and hormonal changes alter brain chemistry and mood (Miller & Raison, 2016). The waltz of body and mind.
Losing the Lead
Chronic illness doesn’t just affect physical health—it shakes up identity, too. Suddenly, your life feels like a dance number where someone switched your preferred sound track to something you didn’t select and probably don’t even like. That sense of lost control is a big driver of mental distress, (Charmaz, 1995).
Choreographing Coping Moves
So how do you reclaim the rhythm, dance to your own tune and find some grace between body and mind? Here are some strategies that work:
- CBT: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is like bringing in a professional coach to refine your routine. It teaches new steps, challenges those off-beat thoughts, and helps people adapt their unhelpful moves into more skillful moves and thoughts, (Hofmann, 2012).
- Name it to tame it: Simply naming an emotion can be sufficient to start to tame it, accept it and move with it.
- Identify we are not our thoughts. Our thoughts are often not correct and deserve to be challenged, refined and corrected. Practice makes perfect.
- Second arrow: We cannot control the first thought that enters our mind, but we can certainly have control over the second thought. The first thought can pierce our heart, but we do not have to shoot the second arrow and make ourselves feel worse. With coaching and the gentle art of slowing things down we can catch that misstep before we tread on our own toes.
- Top ten hits: What are your repetitive automatic thoughts that are often so insidious they are causing damage without your really being aware of them? Get to know them, with great self-compassion.
- Emotion Focused work: Emotions don’t fade with neglect or distraction; they consolidate and demand louder attention until acknowledged. Let’s learn how to tenderly and kindly acknowledge and work with emotions as they arise.
- Movement as Medicine. Even gentle stretching, walking, or dancing in your kitchen can boost mood and reduce pain sensitivity (Stubbs et al., 2017).
- The Ensemble Effect. Support groups, connections, friends and colleagues offer a chorus line of people to journey through life with. The shared rhythm of empathy and humor can keep loneliness from stealing the spotlight, (Taylor et al., 2020).
- Sleep: Every dancer needs rest between acts. Quality sleep and rest stabilizes mood, repairs the body, and provides your energy for daily life, (Walker, 2017). When did rest become a dirty word and why do we feel there is prestige in pathological busyness?
- Micro-Joy Pirouettes. Chronic illness can shrink the stage, but sprinkling in moments of joy and really savouring them can bring moments of sparkle for you to appreciate more consciously, (Fredrickson, 2013).
- Own the Stage. Advocate with your healthcare team. You’re the lead dancer and choreographer of your precious life. Build a great team around you.
Show Time!
We invite you to work with myself, (Nicola), Chris or Peter at NIIM. We three specialize in the Mind aspect of Mind Body medicine. We can provide a safe environment for you to explore, discover, upskill and listen to what needs your attention and care. We can help you befriend your mind and uplevel your health.
References
Charmaz, K. (1995). The body, identity, and self: Adapting to impairment. The Sociological Quarterly, 36(4), 657–680. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1533-8525.1995.tb00459.x
Clarke, D. M., & Currie, K. C. (2009). Depression, anxiety and their relationship with chronic diseases: A review of the epidemiology, risk and treatment evidence. Medical Journal of Australia, 190(7 Suppl), S54–S60. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02471.x
Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Positive emotions broaden and build. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 47, 1–53. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-407236-7.00001-2
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427–440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
Miller, A. H., & Raison, C. L. (2016). The role of inflammation in depression: From evolutionary imperative to modern treatment target. Nature Reviews Immunology, 16(1), 22–34. https://doi.org/10.1038/nri.2015.5
Münzel T, et al. (2018). Environmental stressors and cardio-metabolic disease: Part I—epidemiologic evidence supporting a role for noise and air pollution and effects of mitigation strategies. Eur Heart J, 38(8): 550–556
Stubbs, B., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Ward, P. B., Richards, J., & Soundy, A. (2017). Exercise improves cardiorespiratory fitness and reduces depression in people with depression and chronic illness: A meta-analysis. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 76, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.02.020
Taylor, S. E., Stanton, A. L., & Revenson, T. A. (2020). Social support and resilience in the face of stress and health challenges. Annual Review of Psychology, 71, 383–401. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010419-050944
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner.
World Health Organization. (2017). Depression and other common mental disorders: Global Health Estimates. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders: Global Health Estimates. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2017. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
The content of this post is general in nature, the information should not be relied on as medical advice, and persons should seek advice relevant to their circumstances.
Nicola Graham is an experienced counsellor, having worked with people with chronic health conditions for over twenty-five years. Nicola’s work is person-centred and emotion-focused. She incorporates approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Focusing, and Mindfulness, among others.
Nicola is currently offering free 10 minute consultations. Click here to learn more and to book.
