Your Mind and Your Metabolism: Disaster or Delicate Dance?

Feb 19

Just a few weeks ago, you were ready to set goals and change direction. Now you can’t make it through the day without wrapping yourself in a blanket burrito and wishing you never had to cook, clean, exercise, or socialize again. And it’s only February.

What’s the deal?

Our bodies and minds are linked. All that dread and anxiety you’re feeling: about work, the state of the world, your most important relationships: it originates in your mind, and your mind and body keep one another going.

Stress has such a profound impact on our bodies because our metabolic health and our mental health are locked in a never-ending dance. When things are in balance, it’s a beautiful ballet. When stress ticks up, our body (and mind) take a stage dive. Dr. Christopher M. Palmer explores this in depth in his book, Brain Energy. He writes,

“We know that when the body is stressed, metabolic resources are being devoted to the fight or flight system. This leaves less energy available for other functions. Cells that are already struggling begin to fail. This can lead to metabolic and mental symptoms. Stress also impacts the body’s ability to maintain [and repair] itself.”

That lack of energy you’re feeling could go beyond being tired, Your body might actually be breaking down.

When Stress Leads, Illness Follows

When cortisol (your stress hormone) leads the dance between your mind and body, you’re in for disaster. Your body either uses its energy for repair or response. If all your energy goes into responding to stress— whether you respond by acting out or zoning out— you have nothing left to repair and restore your cells, your bodily functions, or your mental health.

When we don’t externalize our stress by processing and offloading it, it does real internal damage.

How do we get here?

When our lives are in a stress loop, our body gets stuck in a cycle where cortisol and insulin work against each other. This causes our energy to drop, our cravings to hit, and our mood to change for the worse. For some of us, that means depression, for others it’s irritability: it’s often a combination of both. With all that pushing and pulling at our brains and bodies, it gets harder and harder to reach our goals.

Find Harmony and Move Forward

Okay, so stress is to blame. That’s all well and good, but what do you do about it? Total “stress prevention” is impossible. But daily, deliberate “balancing acts” go a long way toward restoring our mental and metabolic health to their natural rhythm.

There’s no magic bullet that works for everyone. But you can’t go wrong with a holistic approach that incorporates:

Boosting Oxytocin: Your connection hormone does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to making you feel better. To kick-start it, use your five senses to reconnect to simple pleasures. Pet your dog, drink your favorite herbal tea, listen to your favorite song, or read a book you love.
Polyvagal Work: It’s amazing how empowering it is to learn about your triggers and your glimmers. Once you know what dysregulates your nervous system, you can identify behaviors, environments, and habits that help you relax and regulate.
Movement: Gentle movement helps lower cortisol levels, reducing feelings of stress. Exercise also releases endorphins, which make you feel happier and more optimistic. The trick is not to overdo it, which could cause another cortisol dump.

These processes work together and “boost” each other’s efforts. The right combination looks different for everyone, and finding your footing in the mind-metabolism tango gets more complicated when navigating difficult life changes that involve acute or chronic stress (like job loss, grief, breakups, etc.)

Holistic counseling or coaching is a great way to hold yourself accountable while making sure you don’t burn out or beat yourself up. If you need help restoring your body and mind to their delicate dance, we’re here for you. Book a free discovery call to take the first step toward greater well-being today.