As people, we are often trying to find ways to make life better for ourselves and our relatives. While we may not be in control of every aspect of our lives, health is one aspect people turn their attention towards to grow and improve on. For those of you who have taken the time to read this article, firstly let me thank you for your patience, because you are likely just the sort of person who has begun to look for ways to better your health and you may have experienced what I’m about to describe.
The Euro-American approach to health divides your efforts into at least two places, one of mental health and one of physical health. Sometimes these get divided further, into a place of relationship or social health, a place of career health, and possibly a place of spiritual health as well. The backwards attempt to make things simpler has today become a paralyzing buffet of options and actions that can lead to feeling stuck, thinking, “Where do I even start?”
Well, let’s take a deep breath, and walk this back towards a more holistic (meaning whole self) approach.
Just focusing on mental and physical health for a moment, let’s notice that these systems are in union with each other. Your brain is not the only part of you responsible for your emotions, any more than your gut is only responsible for digesting food. For example, your gut has a huge amount of serotonin receptors that play a big role in how it functions. Serotonin is also a key transmitter for mood regulation in the brain, and these systems are in play with each other. Changes in digestive tract are influencing, and influenced by, your mood and stress levels. Another example is how controlled physical stress in your body, like the kind we engage in while walking, running, dancing, doing manual labors for fitness or for work, can actually improve our tolerance for mental stressors! Our bodies are intimately and wonderfully interconnected from our heads to our feet, and if we want to take good care of ourselves, we can learn more about studying these connection points, instead of dividing us up into two worlds with different needs. Moving away from the “mind” and “body” view of ourselves, we can see ourselves in a less divided way.
This change in our thinking leads naturally to a change in being, if we allow ourselves the chance to change, we can move towards respecting our bodies as an integrated whole, of which the mind (or consciousness) is an important part. This means we can improve our whole lives by focusing on the mind-body connections, to movement and motion, to physical touch from our loved ones to our relationship with light and the cycle of the sun, to the nourishing food we put in our bodies (less Takis, and more homemade tacos!) Our whole health is made more attainable when we are thoughtful in our actions, and our thoughts become clearer and more intentional when our body is fed and engaged as the Creator intended it to be.
If you or your relative are working on living a healthier lifestyle, encourage them! If you, or someone you know, are looking for more help finding ways to live in good health, your team at Southern Ute Behavioral Health is here to help you find specific, realistic, and helpful advice and resources so that you can grow healthier with your family and pass on healthy habits to your relatives. Here’s to your good health!
It’s okay not to feel okay.
If you or someone you know has been struggling with their emotions, behaviors, or substance use please reach out to us. We can help you find appropriate tools and services that could help you overcome obstacles in your life. We are here for you. Please contact the Southern Ute Behavioral Health Division at (970) 563.5700 for more information or to set up an appointment to see a counselor or therapist.
Reminder: If you need to talk to someone, please reach out.
And for those interested in opioid use education, harm reduction, and support, please contact us for quick Naloxone (Narcan) training and fentanyl test strips. We can schedule individual, family, or friends training times at our Southern Ute Behavioral Health Building, or we can come to you, and the training is around 30 minutes. Please call us at (970) 563.5700 to set up a training appointment.