Alternative Health Articles

 

The Power of Your Emotions: They Can Mean the Difference Between Sickness and Health!
By Amy Phillips-Gary

I did it again. I came down with a horrible headache which worsened until all I could do was lie in my bed and try to sleep. I felt chilled, nauseated and finally threw up.

Sounds like a common case of the flu or a stomach bug? Could be.

But when I take a careful look back at the days leading up to this illness that came on suddenly and literally knocked me out for the good part of a day, there's another way of understanding what I experienced.

It is quite possible that I literally made myself sick.

Days before this flu temporarily put me out of commission, I had been feeling bad about myself. I was worried and stirred up with fears about my children and criticisms of my parenting of them. I was feeling very judgmental of my body and only seeing what I don't approve of in the mirror.

I was feeling sad, inadequate, ugly and very low. And the next day, BOOM, I get sick.

Could there be a connection?

I think so.

Medical scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles documented the mind-body connection I'm talking about in a recent study. They found that the stress hormone, cortisol, suppresses the body's ability to produce an enzyme that is essential for cell health and the effective functioning of the immune system.

The immune system-- which is the body's way of fighting off things like flus, colds, diseases and even cancer-- becomes worn down and unable to do its job effectively when a person is chronically stressed out.

When you consider your emotions, it's pretty clear that feelings such as sadness, anger, fear and worry contribute to stress. These feelings aren't pleasant to feel and they drag down our physical bodies as well.

You might have also noticed an illness or malady occur in your body in connection with those stress-filled feelings-- especially if you frequently experience them.

On the other hand, a sense of contentment, hope, happiness and joy are almost always accompanied by a feeling of physical wellness.

Even if you are living with a health condition that is not preferable, when you are in a state of ease and have uplifted emotions, it's usually the case that the physical "limitation" or condition is not as central to your attention as it might be at other
times. You really do feel better-- on all levels.

So does this mean there are good emotions and bad ones?
Let me back up for a minute. I am not proposing that there are good emotions and bad ones. This presumption could lead to an attempt to ignore or push down those feelings that are not deemed positive.

First of all, it is nearly impossible to truly ignore away those emotions that you find unpleasant and, usually, unwanted. Efforts to suppress them are not going to keep you healthy either.

Emotions are just energy. Defined as "affective states of consciousness," our emotions are tied in with our thoughts, beliefs and perceptions of the present, past, or future reality.

Our emotions can be so powerful that we feel taken over by them at times. It can appear difficult to get a firm foothold when a wave of strong emotion rises up within us.

We can feel literally swept away by an intense flash of anger and we can just as easily be overcome by the delights of pleasure.

If we can set aside good/bad labels when we talk about emotions, we can begin to make peace with what we are feeling-- every bit of it.

And making peace with where you are is a great way to allow your emotions to process and then release.

It is quite possibly not so much the sad, angry, fearful or worried types of feelings that are making us stressed out and physically sick. Instead, it is the way we freeze up and hold ourselves in these emotional states.

How can I prevent my emotions from "taking me over" and making me sick?
You truly have to stay tuned in to how you are feeling and what you are thinking and believing in order to know when a tidal wave of angst is building within you.

Too many of us simply aren't present with our own selves as we move through our day-to-day lives.

It's in this state of auto-pilot that we often get caught unaware by difficult feelings that we then feel helpless to do anything about.

Try this instead...Get into the habit of doing a feeling check with yourself several times a day.

Before you get out of bed in the morning, listen to the thoughts rambling about in your head and notice how are feeling. You might even get a sense of beginning physical symptoms that could connect in with your emotional state.

Repeat this again during a mid-day break in your daily routine and then before dropping off to sleep at night.

When you discover feelings, thoughts or sensations that disturb or trouble you, pause and look more deeply at what's going on.

Sometimes the most powerful thing of all that you can do is to interrupt your usual habit of pushing ahead with your life and simply acknowledge that you feel sad, irritable, angry or fearful.

Your next step might be to ask yourself what you need to soothe yourself about this. The answer might be a very specific action, or it could be more questions. You may discover that particular beliefs about yourself, others or your situation are fueling your intense emotions.

If so, it can be helpful to ask yourself if you absolutely know that these beliefs are true.

Often, the reminder that a belief or thought might not be accurate is enough to create space within which you can open up to a new way of perceiving a set of circumstances.

Keep listening to yourself and continue to follow through on what feels like it will bring you relief.
 

Even if you shift from depressed to melancholy or from outraged to irritable, the improved way you feel can translate into a boost to your physical health. These improvements put you on the road to a healthier, happier you!
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Amy Phillips-Gary is a freelance writer, homeschool mom and a personal growth adventurer.








 

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