A lot of us have been taught that our emotional state is entirely dependent upon our thoughts. This belief has many of us completely ignoring our physical health even as we’re concerned with improving our emotional well-being. That separation of thinking stands in stark contrast to the reality of life: We are one, multifaceted, complex system.
In another perspective, it’s important for us to realize that our physical well-being is directly related to our emotional well-being. If we’re bombarded by external emotional stressors, it’s only a matter of time before we experience diminished physical well-being. There’s no separation, really, between the emotional and physical. You can think of them as connected systems that mirror each other within the contexts of their own components.
One way that we experience this can be seen in a healthy person coming down with an illness. As the illness sets in, our mood sours and we may become grumpy and even prone to lashing out at those around us. This connection between mind and body, the emotional and physical, is important not just because they show us quantifiable links to illness, but because they offer us a roadmap to creating overall health and well-being!
Some of us seem to be more cerebrally oriented than others. Others are far more physical. These biases and preferences give us a direct line to working towards feeling better. If we can consistently improve our emotional state for a period of time, our physical well-being will respond in kind. Conversely, if we consistently improve our physical well-being for a period of time, our emotional well-being will also improve.
The best advice I could possibly give you in terms of improving your well-being (and, in fact, creating a life rich with the experiences you wish to enjoy), it’s to focus first and foremost on being happy or feeling good from the perspective that is most easy for you. If you’re a cerebral type, get yourself laughing and feeling happy as much as you can and as often as you can. If you’re a physical type, meditate or exercise in ways that make you feel physically really good. By doing so, you’ll raise your emotional energies and your overall feeling will dramatically improve over time.
If you always see yourself as a complete system rather than a collection of disparate parts, you’ll find it much easier to address all aspects of your well-being.
If you have any questions about this (or anything else), feel free to leave a comment!
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