Mind, Body & Spirit: They’re All Connected
Our mind, body and spirit are truly connected. This is why if you stop feeding what lifts your spirit, no matter how physically fit or mentally sharp you might be, there remains an imbalance in your life. The same can be said about our body.
You might work really hard to keep your spirit afloat; in fact, that’s all you live for is to do what ever it is you do. Your work and your title can make you feel on top of this world. However, if you’re too busy working, especially with a high paying, high demand job, then your body might be totally out of shape or stress might be preventing you from getting a decent night’s sleep. Your blood pressure might be through the roof, and your cardiologist might warn that if you don’t slow down and get healthy you’ll be on the brink of a heart attack. That’s if you haven’t already had one.
And when I say spiritually, I don’t necessarily mean religion, though it can be if that’s what you choose. Spiritual balance can be a Zen quality that finally leaves you with some sort of internal peace, regardless if you are an atheist or a Christian or something else. And the word “spirituality” or “spirit” doesn’t necessary denote a belief in any dogma. What spirit means to you can be left to your own interpretation. And, at last, if you’ve got stress under control and you’re fit physically as well as balanced spiritually, then this leaves your mind.
What if you seemingly have the “cookie-cutter” life but deep down you know that you haven’t actually dealt with some of the painful memories, childhood trauma, hurt, or a past that you’ve buried so deep inside you that you deny they even exist? You’re one of those who say, “Therapist? I don’t need a therapist! My life is perfect.” Not that therapy is the end all, be all, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. If you haven’t dealt with your past, it’ll eventually affect your mind. Whether it’s psychologically, mentally or emotionally, all that you refuse to face will manifest in your life in some way shape or form.
Some people might call it a “nervous breakdown,” a “midlife crisis” or even if you’re only in your 20s you can have a “quarter life crisis.” It can be a breakdown or a breakthrough however you choose to handle it. And maybe it takes finally crashing off your high horse for you to see that your perfect life has some imperfections you were ignoring. You can live your life with as many illusions as you choose to erect and hide behind. For better or worse, your mind will eventually be affected because you’ll be reminded of what you tried to bury. Which goes back to my first initial point: If one area of your life is off-balance, it taints and infects the rest of your life.
The Bottom Line:
So many people claim that they can compartmentalize their life, and in many ways it’s necessary. There is a time and place for everything. But, don’t be mistaken that you can’t separate your mind (emotional, mental, psychological), body (physical form and health) and spirit (motivation, enthusiasm, guide, intuition, higher self, essence, life force). When one is off-balance, do not ignore the warning signs, and you’ll know what they are when it happens to you. Personally, I strive for balance in all areas of my life. I maintain a mental, physical and spiritual checklist to determine where my tank might be running a little low in one area or a little too full in another. The trick is to not over do, but to try and reach some sort of harmony. And sometimes it takes a little reverse engineering to figure out why you might feel low or unmotivated, depressed, overwhelmed, stressed or just “off.” Regardless, your mind, body, and spirit will provide warning signs. Don’t ignore them in order to find the balance you need.
Writing With Hope 