Introduction:
The phenomenon of the mind-body connection has been a popular topic in recent times. It relates to the possible connection or link between an individual’s physical health and emotions, attitudes, and thoughts. Even though scientists have known for a long time that emotions can have an impact on the body, we are only starting to comprehend how it actually works and affects our health. Read the blog to learn more about this topic and understand what influence it has on your body and health.
Effects of emotions on your body and health
Emotions can normally be categorised as positive or negative and they can influence your physical health in different ways. Here’s how they work:
- Negative emotions and their effect on your body and health
Various studies have found that negative emotions can cause issues with health. Scientists use the term “neuroticism” to define a trait inclination to experience unpleasant emotions like rage, depression, anxiety, emotional instability and so on. Neuroticism is a widely known risk factor for a range of physical health complications, which include asthma, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Factors like negative emotions caused by stressful life events can give rise to immune dysregulation, which might influence a number of physical changes and diseases like ageing, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, etc.
Another instance of negative emotion that can influence changes in your body and overall health is associated with depression. Some studies have found evidence behind a possible connection between changes in cellular immunity and a depressive mood, making it difficult for your body to fend off diseases and infections.
- Positive emotions and their effect on your body and health
On the other hand, the influence that positive emotions have on your physical wellness and overall health is in complete contrast to its negative counterpart. Various studies have shown reports that there might be a link between a positive emotional state and a series of positive health conditions, like lower blood pressure, normal blood sugar levels, minimized risk of cardiovascular diseases, increased lifespan, and healthy body weight.
How does it work?
A lot of studies are currently being conducted in order to determine how exactly emotions affect the body and overall health. One of the most common theories that scientists believe is the relationship between elevated emotions and the switch in eating habits. According to this theory, emotions can influence an individual’s eating habits by switching off higher brain control in this regard. This means that it can either reduce appetite among individuals or give rise to comfort eating. Both overeating and undereating are not ideal for your body and overall state of health. It can cause feelings of nausea, digestive issues, unhealthy weight loss or gain, problems with blood sugar levels, constant fatigue, increased risk of chronic diseases, and may also impair brain function.
Many psychologists have attempted to explain the relationship between health and emotions with the help of a transactional analysis model, which considers an individual’s response to stressors as a contributing factor to their state of health. Aspects that rely on an individual’s capacity to control emotions, like the assessment of these stressors and their management, can impact this response.
Conclusion:
Now that you have gone through the entire article, you can see how emotions impact one’s body and health. This is why experts recommend a positive approach to life in order to attain emotional wellness, which in turn can be beneficial to the body and overall well-being.
