A Holistic Approach

What does a holistic approach to wellness look like and why is it important? My definition of wellness includes a healthy nervous system, reduced inflammation, the ability to regulate emotions, and not feeling stuck in your body or your emotions. As a licensed mental health counselor, of course my priority is the emotional regulation. However, I have learned that you cannot fully address issues like anxiety, obsessive thoughts, chronic stress, and shame without also looking at the cycle it produces in the body.

Chronic stress is a great place to start, as it is so familiar to most of us. We experience chronic stress not only as an emotional state, but with physical symptoms. As our nervous system sees that stress meter creeping higher and higher, it is sending signals to the body to prepare to fight. Your body starts producing adrenaline and cortisol, which is what it is supposed to do! But, what happens when you are stressed most of the day/week/month? So many people get caught in cycles of stress that produce inflammation in the body, and may even play a part in autoimmune conditions, chronic digestive issues, and nervous system dysfunction. And to continue in this cycle, if an individual is dealing with a chronic autoimmune condition, the nervous system may also be sending signals to the brain that it needs to be in fight/flight mode.

So we can see how emotions can affect the body. But can the body also affect the mind? It sure can. There are so many fascinating studies recently about the affects of nutrition on mental health, for example. I am no nutritionist, but I have studied the use of food to support mental health. When your body is dealing with inflammation due to your diet, it may be sending those signals to your brain that there is a problem and it needs to be on alert.

When you think about your wellness journey, I encourage you to look at multiple pieces of the puzzle. Work with medical and mental health professionals to make sure you have support for your mind and body!

This post is intended for informational purposes and should not be taken as medical advice. Please consult a medical or mental health professional to support your journey.