How Emotional Health Impacts Your Physical Health

Did a taxing day turn into a migraine? Do you ever get so angry that your hands shake? I feel you—unregulated emotions can be overwhelming.

But here’s the thing. Physical manifestations of mental states are not a fabrication of your imagination. Our bodies always respond to the pain of our hearts and our running “Monkey Mind.” If we learn to listen to our bodies, we can discover what bothers us mentally and emotionally.

Physical symptoms are only touchable evidence of what is going on in our minds, conscious and unconscious, and how we really feel deep inside! Our emotional health has a direct impact on our physical health, and research has proven this fascinating link.

Is there a relationship between emotions and physical disease?

Dr. Deepak Chopra’s research found that negative emotions from life experiences become chemically trapped in cells, causing them to “remember” being unhealthy.

The chemical release caused by emotions is stored in your cells. Then, when you experience trauma, peptide chemicals are released into your bloodstream and attach to your cell receptors. Once attached, they block chemical communication with other cells in the body. Eventually, this leads to the development of physical illnesses.

The good news? Positive emotions have the same direct impact on your health and well-being. According to scientist Dr. Barbara Fredrickson, the benefits include fewer seasonal allergies, digestive diseases, skin issues, and better sleep. She spent years researching the benefits of positivity on the physical and emotional levels and published her findings, which include faster recovery from cardiovascular diseases, better sleep, fewer colds, and a greater sense of general happiness.

Why is this relationship so important?

Doctors previously focused on the physical cause of physical illnesses. However, my clients and members of the general public have been increasingly complaining of unexplained illnesses.

The experiences of these real people, compounded by stats like ‘depression increases the risk for coronary artery disease four-fold,’ have highlighted the integral role psychological states play in physical health.

Suffer from distressing symptoms with no apparent cause?

It is not necessarily all in your head. You know you best. Go ahead and get a second, third, or even fourth opinion from a professional.

Subtly shift the way you perceive and understand the development of diseases. If you think you could be at risk, practice preventative holistic medicine to make a concentrated effort to avoid physical manifestations of mental illnesses.

So, how can you do it? Start by developing and practicing positive attitudes like gratitude, love, interest, awe, joy, peacefulness, and feeling connected to others. Learn to quiet your racing mind in meditation and empty the negativity stored in your subconscious. Stop prioritizing bad over good.

As Dr. Barbara Fredrickson states in her research, experiencing three positive emotions for every negative one will offset the negativity bias and help you experience a harmonious emotional state, which in turn will result in better health.

Ready to unlock food’s transformative and healing power and a positive mindset? Let’s chat. Register for a meditative session with me here.

If you liked this article, please leave me a comment, share it, like my Facebook page, and subscribe to my YouTube Channel for additional video resources.