Most people often view their mental health and physical health as separate things – but the human body doesn’t work that way. What’s going on in your head and heart affects your physical wellbeing.
When you’re bogged down by stress, anxiety, depression, grief, or other emotional challenges, your body feels the strain, too. It might manifest as:
- Tense muscles
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Digestive issues
- Sleep problems
- Skin issues
- Weakened immunity
Seeing a counsellor can be the first step to boosting both your mental and physical health. Statistics show that about 41.7 million US adults have in fact opted for counselling in recent years. Intrigued about how counselling could help you? Keep reading to discover five ways it could impact your physical wellbeing.
1. Mind-Body Connection Awareness
As mentioned, many people aren’t fully aware of the intricate relationship between their minds and bodies. Counselling sessions often include education on the mind-body connection, emphasizing how thoughts, emotions, and physical health are intertwined. This increased awareness empowers you to make informed choices that support your holistic wellbeing.
2. Reduce the Impact of Stress and Anxiety on the Body
Everyone experiences stress and anxiety at times. But when feelings of being constantly on edge, overwhelmed, or worried become your normal state, this can take a toll on your physical health.
Living in “fight, flight or freeze mode” means your body is pumped full of cortisol, adrenaline, and other stress hormones. Your heart races, muscles tense up, and blood pressure rises. While this rush of chemicals may have served an evolutionary purpose, in modern life, chronic stress leads to very real consequences, such as headaches, fatigue, insomnia, and more.
Anxiety counselling can help you reduce the impact of stress and anxiety on the body. Counsellors can teach you stress reduction techniques, such as deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditation. Importantly, they can also work with you to identify specific triggers that contribute to your stress and anxiety. By recognizing and addressing these triggers, you can reduce the impact of stress and anxiety on your physical health.
3. Improve Your Cardiovascular Health
Your cardiovascular system is especially responsive to how you feel. This simply means that when you’re going through some mental issues, particularly for a long period of time, your heart and blood vessels are also affected.
Prolonged stress may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis, where fatty deposits build up in the arteries, leading to reduced blood flow and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Opening yourself up in counselling can alleviate the strain of unresolved emotional issues, lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
4. Develop Healthy Coping Skills
Without adequate coping skills, many of us turn to unhealthy habits to alleviate distress. For example, alcohol, junk food, and self-isolation. Such things create a vicious cycle that hinders both your physical and mental health.
Counselling can help you unpack your destructive patterns. When you’re in a supportive setting, you can explore the root causes behind your behaviour without shame or judgment. Your therapist or counsellor can assist you in identifying your current unhealthy habits and set achievable goals based on the changes you want to see. With time, your physical health will thrive as you create new healthy coping skills.
5. Better Sleep
Do you regularly get less than 7 hours sleep a night?
A lack of sleep, whether it's due to chronic insomnia, irregular sleep patterns, or other sleep disorders, can have a profound impact on various aspects of your physical health. For example, chronic sleep deprivation may compromise your immune response, making you more susceptible to infections and illnesses.
In addition, sleep deprivation has been associated with changes in hormones that regulate hunger and appetite. It can lead to an increase in appetite, especially for high-calorie and sugary foods, and a decreased ability to regulate food intake. Over time, this can contribute to weight gain and an increased risk of obesity.
A counsellor can work with you to establish healthy sleep habits and address factors contributing to sleep disturbances, promoting better physical health.
Summary
Your mental and physical health are tightly intertwined. If your mental health suffers, your physical health suffers, too. Counselling can help you improve your overall wellbeing by:
- Increasing your awareness of the mind-body connection
- Calming your nervous and cardiovascular systems through stress reduction techniques
- Reducing your reliance on unhealthy coping skills
- Improving your sleep
The most important factor determining the outcome of counselling is the quality of the therapeutic relationship between you and your counsellor.
It’s important to shop around for someone who’s the right fit for your needs. Different therapists have varying styles, approaches, and areas of expertise, and finding a therapist who aligns with your preferences and needs is essential. For more information on how to choose a therapist, check out this article.
Self-Guided Support for Anxiety and Low Mood
Research shows that self-help materials are often enough for people to overcome mild to moderate mental health difficulties without professional support.
If you’re interested in a self-guided program that includes tools from CBT, DBT, ACT and more, be sure to check out The Mental Wellbeing Toolkit. It's "like 10 therapy sessions in one."
