The mind is one of the most powerful forces that exists – and the mind and body are intimately connected.
Research clearly demonstrates that chronic stress directly contributes to physical health problems by triggering the body’s fight or flight response and releasing stress hormones. The biochemical dysregulation associated with ongoing stress, anxiety, or depression causes energy blocks in the body and depletes the immune system, resulting in compromised physical health. The most common conditions that stress can cause or exacerbate include headaches, chronic pain, insomnia, auto-immune disorders, gastrointestinal symptoms, sexual and reproductive dysfunction, cancer, and heart disease.
One focus of my work as a Health Psychologist, is helping you navigate ways to reduce stress and improve your mood to enhance your general physical health.
Through the use of hypnosis, there are also direct ways you can learn to tap in to your body’s subconscious, innate healing wisdom to reduce pain, boost your immune system, and optimize the functioning of every cell, tissue, and organ of your body.
All emotions are adaptive in certain situations – they promote our ability to thrive by prompting appropriate communication and behavior.
However, emotions can be maladaptive if they are under-regulated, have thresholds that are too low, are chronically accessible, and when they lead to problematic responses that result in suffering or impairment in functioning. Furthermore, both positive and negative emotions require healthy outlets for expression. Otherwise, they can drain life force energy and result in unhealthy coping mechanisms, chronic disease, or autoimmune disorders.
Specific psychological traits have been linked to different health problems. For example, both acute and chronic stress, depression, and hostility are independent risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Chronic depression has also been linked to inflammation in the body, reduced white blood cell counts, and reduced cellular immune functioning. Consequently, people suffering from chronic depression are at higher risk for developing serious health problems. Immune system dysregulation is likely also a significant factor in expediting the aging process and reduced longevity.
On the other hand, research also demonstrates that healthy psychological functioning is associated with reduced signs of aging, lower blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health, healthy blood glucose levels, a stronger immune system, and a number of other indicators of physical health and longevity. Learning how to regulate your emotions and to maintain a positive mindset despite the challenges that arise in life promotes resilience and physical vitality.
