24/07/2025
Now, I am the first person to vouch for how effective a healthy lifestyle is on the mind. But if that healthy lifestyle doesn’t include processing your experiences - your body is going to start shouting at you eventually.
The body exposes its pain through discomfort; emotionally and physically. The body talks through sensations and symptoms. A fantastic quote I often refer to: “disease is dis-ease” meaning that illness can originate from a lack of comfort and ease in the mind & body. This can come from any experience you’ve had that left you feeling uneasy; big or small.
In our younger years, we can do the exercise and eat the good food to mitigate our symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD etc. But what about when the body starts slowing you down because you’re not listening to it? It will slow you down until you finally listen, to the point where movement isn’t something you’re easily able to do.
I often describe this as a child having a constant tantrum. They will cry, scream, even hit you, until you finally listen. The more you ignore them, the more distressed they become. Once you turn to them and calmly speak to them, they’ll calm down. You can have the same response to the body; turn to it & see what the symptoms are trying to tell you (this is very much workable in a therapeutic space).
And a general rule of thumb I use as guidance is ‘what would a child need in order to feel comforted right now?’ We know that as children we need; comfort, encouragement, support. That doesn’t change in adulthood. It just means you need to know how to offer it to yourself, rather than ignoring your needs.
So yes - workout, eat good. Your mind and body will thank you. But please remember, that is only truly effective on your mental health if you are processing your experiences, not suppressing them.
I understand this is quite a new concept for many, so please always feel free to DM me if you have further questions 🫶🏼
