Why is Mental Well-Being as Important as Physical Well-Being?
Mental well-being is just as important as physical well-being. It includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being, as well as affects how we think, feel, and act. Our thought patterns and emotions impact nearly every illness. This is strong evidence that the mind and body are communicating with one another. Well-being can be described as seeing life positively and feeling good. When feeling mentally well, we can be productive, enjoy life, and contribute to our community. Mental well-being also helps determine how you adapt to stress, interact with others, and make decisions.
Stress is an emotion and a physical experience. Stressors can be physical, psychological, or social. Stress can make you feel tired and make you feel ill. The stress response begins in the brain and spreads throughout the body in a swell of powerful hormones. Not all stress is bad for our health. Acute stress that is recovered from, can actually be positive. Chronic stress that builds up over time and becomes a normal part of everyday life, can be harmful. Learning to be aware of the amount of stress in life and how we react will help us handle stress in the future.
Being emotionally well involves more than just managing stress. It also requires being attentive to thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, whether they are positive or negative. This is where mindful awareness comes into play. Elissa Epel, PhD developed the 3 Stress Mind-Body States framework, which encourages us to examine our mental state and shift to a beneficial stress response that can actually enhance our health. The Red Mind is a state in which we experience an intense stress response that leaves us feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. The Yellow Mind is a state in which we do not actively deal with stress but relaxation is a distant thought. This is the typical baseline state for many of us. The Blue Mind is a state in which we surrender and experience true relaxation. This is where we all want to be but rarely find the opportunity to experience it.
Marine biologist Dr. Wallace Nichols first theorized the Blue Mind as it relates to our response to water environments. He writes, “We are beginning to learn that our brains are hardwired to react positively to water and that being near it can calm and connect us, increase innovation and insight, and even heal what’s broken.” Neurologists and psychologists are finding scientific evidence that validates Nichols’ thesis of the Blue Mind. Using imaging techniques, researchers have found that proximity to water will increase the levels of “feel-good” hormones, dopamine, and oxytocin, within the brain. At the same time, levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop, so we feel at ease. Nichols goes on to write, “Being on, in, and near water can be among the most cost-effective ways of reducing stress and anxiety.”
I feel very fortunate to have lived near the water all my life. Growing up in the Finger Lakes region of New York, the lake was a steadfast companion. Now living on the coast of Maine, the ocean is the center of our community. It is the place I go to not only connect but reset. A few years ago a friend introduced me to cold-water swimming. Emerging my body into the cold water is where my Red and Blue Minds meet head to head. With the initial plunge, the Red Mind races in but with the help of controlled breathing and focus the Blue Mind chases the Red Mind away. Regardless if I am diving into the ocean as the snowflakes fall on a winter day or picnicking lakeside with the sun on my face on a summer day, I feel serenity and gratitude when I am near water.
Be well,
Sarah
