By Segun Lufadeju
Every time you allow stress and anxiety to take over your state of mind, you put your body into a fight-or-flight mode, where it begins to react as though it is under attack. Scientists have said that if you remain in a stressed and anxious state for too long, your body may begin to release hormones that can increase your heart rate, while your breathing rate may also rise. This can lead to high blood pressure and cause your muscles to become tense.
On the other hand, if you are able to make your mind and body feel more relaxed, your body will begin to produce beneficial hormones that can support your health and promote a healthier body, free from illness and disease.
This is why it is important to consider ways to keep your body and mind consistently in a relaxed state, free from unnecessary tension and stress. One of the major factors that influences your state of mind is your focus. If you can learn to shift your attention away from unpleasant circumstances around you and fix your mind on more empowering possibilities, such as new goals and fresh perspectives, you can help keep your mind in a calmer state.
For instance, what is your daily routine? What do you focus your mind on each day? How has your mind been trained over the years to respond to circumstances? You can retrain your mind to look for the good in every situation. Below are four natural ways to help your body feel more relaxed and less tense.
Diet
You would not put the wrong fuel into your car, and the same applies to your body. What you feed your body also feeds your mind, so be sure to eat healthy meals and drink plenty of water.
Exercise
Even mild exercise, such as walking, has been shown to help with depression and anxiety by releasing endorphins that improve mood.
Sleep
Getting enough sleep allows the body and mind to recover and repair themselves. It is vital for memory, brain function, hormone regulation, and overall well-being.
Sunlight
Like exercise, getting enough sunlight has been shown to reduce depression by helping the body release serotonin, often called the “happiness chemical”, which increases feelings of well-being.
Controlling your emotions
If you learn to place your mind in a healthy state, you can help place your body in a healthy state too. Your state of mind can positively or negatively affect your health. You can control your state of mind by choosing how you respond to the world around you. You can be deliberate in choosing a healthy lifestyle by first choosing a healthy state of mind.
One way to cultivate a healthy state of mind is to learn to control your emotions. Emotions are powerful forces within the mind; they can be either positive or negative. If negative emotions are left unchecked, they can contribute to poor health.
It is important to monitor your emotions and learn to recognise them early before they become overwhelming and begin to affect your body. Examples of negative emotions include fear, sadness, anger, hatred, and jealousy.
Below are some steps you can take to bring your emotions under control and take better charge of your health. The first step is to identify your feelings and understand how you are feeling. Your feelings can be useful indicators of the direction your life is heading.
Make it a habit to take stock of your emotions. Ask yourself: How am I feeling right now? How have I been feeling lately? These questions can help you identify your emotional state. Being able to recognise what you feel is already a major step towards emotional control.
Next, ask yourself: Why am I feeling this way? For instance, if you discover that you are worried or fearful, ask why. This can help you identify the source of your anxiety. It may stem from an event in the past, an anticipated event in the future, or an ongoing situation in your life.
Once you identify the source of your worry or fear, the next step is to seek solutions promptly. Are there things you have left undone? You may need to take action and begin addressing them. Is the source of the worry within your control? Is it something you can improve by taking practical steps?
Identify the steps you need to take, then make up your mind to take them. One wise step I often advise people to take is to ask God for direction. You can turn to God in prayer and ask Him to show you how best to handle the situation. For with God, all things are possible.
As the wise man said in the book of Proverbs: “Lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). If you commit the situation you are facing to God in prayer, He can show you a way through it.
Segun Lufadeju is the author of three books focused on developing a healthy mind and discovering your true identity. He holds seminars on his most recent book, THE NEW IDENTITY, where he explores the subject of identity and how it shapes outcomes in every sphere of life. He is also the host of Thirty-Five Plus, an outreach programme for people above the age of thirty-five. He can be reached, and his books ordered, via +234-703-2168-649 or by email: printstrats@gmail.com.
