SYBF Week 5: Brain-Body Connection

The mind-body connection is a two-way relationship in which the mind influences the body, and the body influences the mind. Positive thoughts release feel-good neurotransmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, which can energize and activate the body. Physical sensations, pleasure, pain, and everything in between influence our mental state. 

One of the easiest ways to break out of a negative or stuck mental state is to engage in physical activity. Just moving the body can move the mental state. By intentionally engaging our brains while we move our bodies, we can even level up the body-brain connection and shape our brains further. First, let’s explore the science of this connection. 

Science

The vagus nerve is the main nerve system that controls many automated body functions, such as digestion, heart rate, and the immune system, including inflammatory responses. Sometimes described as an information superhighway to the brain, the vagus nerve ensures our bodies maintain basic functions to keep us alive and adjusts and adapts these functions based on how we experience the world around us. The vagus nerve, when overstimulated by stress, causes physical symptoms. One such example is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), in which people experience lower intestinal issues during times of high stress. 

Let’s deepen our understanding of the vagus nerve through the analogy of a superhighway. At all times, even when we sleep, there is a steady traffic flow of cars. One direction of travel is the information coming in, and the other direction of traveling cars is information on how the body should work based on the information coming in. If we imagine watching this highway from a bird’s eye view, when calm, we see the cars traveling on this highway are spaced far enough apart to slow down or speed up as needed without issue. Traffic moves smoothly and methodically along the highway. Watching from the same POV, while under stress, the highway becomes crowded with cars bringing information in and sending information out. Stress creates rush hour in the brain. This increase in traffic means less space between information “cars.” This leads to traffic jams, erratic driving, and accidents, and the stress gets passed on to all on the highway. Stress is passed on to information coming in and going out. Like on the highway, the more stress on the vagus nerve, the more the system becomes dysfunctional. 

When this happens, stress in the mind causes stress in the body, which leads to mental stress about the body’s stress symptoms, creating more stress signals in the body. And on and on and on.  
Knowing how our vagus nerve brain-body system works, we can interrupt the stress cycle, calm down the body and brain, and train ourselves to handle heavy stress and mental traffic better. 

A note on chronic anxiety. Those of us living with anxiety tend to fidget, pace, wiggle, and move around. When I’m very stressed, I sometimes hastily move around my house in circles, not accomplishing anything but doing a million things simultaneously. Recent research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that the vagus nerve and other systems that control body movement are the same ones that problem-solve and plan. When we are anxious, frustrated, or stressed, we start moving around without intending to soothe this part of the brain. Knowing this, we can watch for this pattern and interrupt it with intentional activities for a more productive and satisfying outcome. 

Activities

The activities below are specifically for using our brain-body connection to calm the vagus system. As always in our challenge, I encourage you to find at least 5 minutes a day for 5 days to engage in one or more of these practices. With body activities, the generally accepted practice based on research is at least 20 minutes 3 times a week, but you know best what you can do. Start where you are, do what you can, and grow into what works for you. 

4-7-8 Breathing

Breathe in through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, exhale smoothly and slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat at least 4 times. Pull the breath more deeply into the belly and expand through the rib cage with each breath. 

Still Meditation

Practice 5 minutes of meditation daily. There are many forms of meditation, find what works for you and stick with it for a while. You may sit or lay down, you may choose to use guided meditation or silent. For those of us who tend to be more anxious, guided meditation is often most helpful when starting a meditation practice. There are many podcasts, YouTube videos, and apps you can use. 

Walking Meditation

Walking with a meditation mindset is a great way to find a meditation practice and is especially helpful for those who struggle with sitting still. In walking meditation, the pace is slower than walking for traditional exercise. Let your body fall into a rhythm that is natural but not rushed. Your heart rate should not increase, but be at or close to the rate when relaxing on your couch. There are many ways to practice walking meditation; you can focus on aspects of nature as you walk or your internal state. Like still meditation, many sources of guided meditation can help you focus during your walking meditation.

If you are feeling particularly stressed or anxious, take a brisk walk or jog for 5-15 minutes first. Move at a challenging pace, get your heart rate up, and keep it up (145-170 pbm) for 5 or more minutes. Once you’ve burned off that extra stress energy, bring yourself back to a calm state for your meditative walk. This will help your body and mind practice moving into a calm state during times of stress.  

Cold Therapy

Exposing our bodies to very cold temperatures helps stimulate vagus nerve pathways and reduces the body’s natural stress response. Immersing yourself in cold water slows your heart rate and redirects blood flow to your brain, helping it function more effectively and problem-solve more efficiently. Cold plunges are all the rage these days, but if you, like me, do not need to start another trend that requires things that take up space that you may or may not use in the future, you likely already have all the equipment you need. After your daily shower, incorporate 30 seconds of cold water rinse at the end. Increase the length over time, aiming for 3 minutes. If you’re lucky enough to have access to the ocean or other bodies of water, taking this practice to nature is even better! 

Inspiration

Creating awe and wonder is a great way to stimulate our vagus nerve system. When we are stuck by awe, our blood pressure lowers, our stress response calms down, and research shows that inflammation in the body decreases. It also leads to a better mood and can even improve sleep. Inspiration can be anywhere and everywhere and varies by person. Nature, music, creating and admiring art, and spending time cultivating relationships can inspire awe. One free, easy and accessible way to do this is to find something in nature that you find beauty in. Take time to experience it slowly in many ways: look at it closely, as if with new eyes, engage all your senses, notice its smells, texture as you touch it, what sensations it evokes in your mind, etc. Spend as much time with it as possible and seek to know this thing of beauty even more deeply. 

Knowing this, we can intentionally plan how to use this energy to our benefit. People who regularly exercise report a more positive outlook on life and higher levels of satisfaction with life. This is likely because they create positive feelings in their brains by moving their bodies. 

Wishing you a beautiful brain-body building week!