The Silent Conversation Between Your Mind and Body

Have you ever noticed how stress can manifest as unexplained weight gain? Or how anxiety can trigger physical symptoms throughout your body? These aren't coincidences—they're evidence of the powerful mind-body connection that shapes our overall wellbeing.

The statistics are sobering: 43.8 million adults in the United States alone experience mental illness annually. Yet many of us continue to treat mental and physical health as entirely separate realms, missing the crucial interconnection between them. When anxiety and grief take hold, they don't just affect our thoughts—they trigger responses in our nervous and endocrine systems, causing muscle tension and disrupting bodily functions. The mind and body constantly communicate, whether we acknowledge it or not.

My own experience with stress-induced weight gain illustrates this connection perfectly. Despite maintaining relatively consistent eating habits, I suddenly gained three kilograms during a particularly demanding period. The culprit? Elevated cortisol levels from increased stress, which promoted fat storage around my midsection, affected insulin response, and caused water retention. Similarly, my longtime struggle with migraines highlighted how physical symptoms can severely impact mental wellbeing. The journey to healing requires addressing both dimensions—through appropriate therapy, daily mindfulness practices (even just five minutes of focused breathing can make a difference), and nutrition strategies like the Mediterranean diet, which research shows can significantly reduce depressive symptoms. Whatever challenges you're facing on your path to success, remember that your mind and body are teammates working together. Share this episode with someone who needs this message, and let me know in the comments which insights resonated most with you!

Chapters

• 0:00 Mental Health Statistics and Introduction
• 1:22 Mind-Body Connection Explained
• 4:34 Stress and Weight Gain: Personal Experience
• 7:54 Five Challenges in Mental Health
• 18:34 Therapy, Mindfulness and Nutrition Strategies
• 25:38 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

They did this survey, guys, in the United States, and they discovered that 5% of adults, 18 or older, experience a mental illness. Right, that is the equivalent to 43.8 million people in a year. It is a lot. Now the study was in the United States. Can you imagine in the world? And this situation makes us think how much fragile we are, even if we do not admit it.

Speaker 1: 0:36

Hi guys, my name is Fabio from Journey to Success, and Welcome. Today we will introduce the concept of healing the mind and body as interconnected process. We will discuss the common challenges people face regarding mental health and its effects on physical health, highlighting the urgency of addressing these issues. But before to go forward, as always, please subscribe. So I know this is the right direction to lead you guys, to drive you, to guide you towards your journey to success. And let's get started all right, as always.

Speaker 1: 1:14

So, to achieve your success, whatever it may be, you need to be both mentally and physically. It's your best. Okay, that's it period. However, before you can achieve this mental and physical well-being, you first need to understand your current state and how to improve it. Alright, so, firstly, there is a real connection between the mind and the body, even if we deny it or don't believe it's true, exists. Of course exists. We often only trust what we can see or touch. You know, the reality is that example, if you struggle with anxiety and grief, it involves the nervous and endocrine systems, meaning it physically affects muscle tension and bodily functions, and this clearly shows the powerful interconnection between the mind and the body, guys.

Speaker 1: 2:16

Okay, and a personal example I would like to highlight is that in the last two weeks I gained about three kilos around, maybe more, which makes no sense. I mean, over the past months I didn't do anything particularly different. Yes, I just stopped doing my weights and abs workouts for a while because I was busy and I spoiled myself with some ice cream. Occasionally I did eat a little bit more than usual, but I was still good, my weight was still good. But somehow, you know, in the last two weeks I experienced a significant jump in weight, like from a day to another, you know, which, for me, was insane. So I wasn't gaining weight. Meanwhile I was eating and enjoying my life with some ice cream. But the moment that I, you know, I decided to be a little bit more busy with my stuff, then somehow I I don't know I saw this weird increase of my weight. It was absurd, you know was absurd, especially considering my weight was fine just three weeks ago.

Speaker 1: 3:36

So what could be the reason for this change? Well, my stress levels have grown, have grown. I still feel like I have it under control, but I did not expect this increase of fat. I have to be honest. It's a type of stress that helps me focus on my job and podcast anyway. So it is not the first time I experienced this, but it looks like it can be activated when I take more tasks in my life, keeping me focused on the track. You know, let's say a lot has changed in the last two weeks. I'm finally in a proper conversation with my podcast community because the podcast is growing and, of course, also the people around me are more in contact with me and my publication environment is also expanding. So I'm engaging with people more, writing articles, trying to improve my podcast and all of this learning Dutch. Try to learn Dutch. Do my nine to five job for now.

Speaker 1: 4:43

But this kind of uh, rhythmic guys tends to increase cortisol levels. Okay, and the hormone your body releases in response to pressure and cortisol can first make your body store more fat, especially around your belly. And this is what has happened to me, even with a t-shirt, if you look at me, I don't look overweight, you know, because my chest looks good, because, anyway, I did quite good sport in the last months. I would say kind of, yeah, I'll fear, my abs are, let's say, I'm proud of it, but my body, from the stomach down, is a disaster. It looks like I have a swimming ring, you know, around me it's very, very ugly, and what else? The second point affect insulin levels. So the cortisol can affect the insulin levels, leading to increased fat retention, of course. And number three, cortisol can cause water retention, which can make you feel heavier.

Speaker 1: 5:55

This was also my luck. This is my luck because I don't know what is your relationship with water, but in my case I really have to count the glass of water in my case, because otherwise I don't drink so much. Plus, if we consider that in the last two weeks I was, let's say, stressed, but more like, as I said, it's a stress that I can still control, that keep me awake, you know, but still, we're talking about a small stress, you know. And plus, I don't drink so much water. Plus, I stopped the, the, the running. Well, now I'm starting again and uh, yeah, of then I can see also this increase. But, as I said, a cortisol level evidently was very high in my case because, yeah, I didn't expect three kilos from a day to another. Basically, I was very surprised, as I said. As I will say, I also started to to run running last week and I've been more careful about my diet, but for now it doesn't seem to be working well. It didn't seem to be to work until, let say, a couple of days ago, but actually now I see some improvement, but it's funny. It's funny because I was thinner when I used to play video games regularly on the couch a couple of months ago. Of course I'll be back, I'm not worried. It's just I know it, since in a while it's beach time, you know, but it is what it is. More importantly, what is the point here? This shows that the mind, the body, are more connected than you might think.

Speaker 1: 7:45

Okay, now let's talk about the five greatest challenges in dealing with mental health issues. First of all, we have a stigma if you have a mental issues, a mental condition and anything that can impact your, uh, your mind, right? So I'm not, I'm not even talking about something, uh, only big. When I talk about mental issue, I'm talking about your mental health environment, right? For example, in my case, I have a big migraña, but we're going to talk about that in a while. Anyway, if you have a mental condition, let's call it a mental condition, even if it looks big. But it's not what I meant. It's not what I mean. I mean more than a mental health environment, right, your mental condition in a healthy way.

Speaker 1: 8:42

But anyway, let's say that makes it difficult to achieve your dreams or your goals. It's natural to feel the need to hide from others, right? Because there is this stigma that we want to be perfect and that we don't have problems. The truth is that the more you talk about your feelings, the better you will feel, and when you feel better, you are more willing to focus on other things, like, as I said before, achieving your goals. All right.

Speaker 1: 9:15

Then we have the second one is the access to resources. It is so difficult, so difficult to find the right resources for managing any kind of mental issue. Dealing with physical problems is already challenging these days, and it often feels like doctors have gotten their degrees with the help of charge of PT, so especially here in the Netherlands, anyway. So imagine how complicated it can be when it comes to mental conditions that prevent you from reaching your goals. Okay, you really need to do your research. In this case, you really need to do your research. In this case, it could involve insurance, a proper doctor or herbal treatments or support groups. You know, it depends, of course, which kind of mental issue you have right now. You have to find the strength to make your research, of course, actually to make your research a priority.

Speaker 1: 10:21

And let me give you another example. As I will say to you before, I've suffered from migraines since I was a child. It is funny because I used to think that, you know, having a weekly headache, or sometimes an intense daily headache, especially during my bad days, was normal. But my fiancé pointed out that it's not normal at all. And in the last months my work has been very intense, between podcasting and everything else, and it really affected my ability to stay healthy, my ability to record. I had intense migraines. Even I delivered my weekly episodes at the end. It was becoming really challenging. I'm not a big fan of medication and I was getting tired of taking paracetamol and ibuprofen and especially scare of taking paracetamol and ibuprofen and especially Scare. So I found a good herbal cure from iHerbcom I don't know if you know the website Called Migrais and it has made such a difference for me. Of course it's not miraculous. I mean, if you are really stressed or exhausted, you can still get the days, you know, but improvement has been huge. So if you are dealing with a mental issue or physical issue that leads to mental discomfort, please make your research a priority.

Speaker 1: 11:57

Okay, number three we're talking about, uh, inertia. So inertia is the tendency okay, just in case you, you, you got loose guys. I'm talking about the five greatest challenges in dealing with mental health issues. Right, since every topic can be quite big. So inertia. Inertia is the tendency to continue with your life as if nothing happened. Okay, even when you know you should take action.

Speaker 1: 12:28

Here is another example A few months ago I'm not even sure how many months, which is already bad, if I don't remember. Anyway, it was before my vacation in Cabo Verde in March, very, very, very bad. So, anyway, I experienced a problem with my knees after carrying some weights on the stairs and now I hear a clicking sound in both knees, especially in the left one. Also, now is it? No, now it looks like it's okay, especially when I do bicycling and stirs, they knock. The sound is weird and I don't feel any pain, but it's weird. I don't feel any pain, but it's weird, I don't like it.

Speaker 1: 14:16

But I didn't take any physiotherapy session and this is very, very bad, and I worry that this could lead to some issue in the future which may also impact my mental well-being, which also, of course, is going to impact the way I deliver my job here with my episodes right. So people don't often talk about this which also, of course, is going to impact the way I deliver my job here with my episodes all right. So people don't often talk about this, but I want to highlight that physical conditions not only can affect your mental health, but it can also affect your overall being all right, and also, if someone is not mentally strong, it can result in negative feedback on their body, potentially leading to self-harm. So it can be a disaster. It can create a brutal cycle that aggravates over time, you know. So what starts with a simple inertia can turn into a painful cycle that's very difficult to go out. So it is important to address these issues now rather than later, and this should be an advice also in my case, because I really need to call with the doctor and make them advise some physiotherapist for me.

Speaker 1: 15:43

Number four lack of knowledge. How many times have I found myself trying to understand things about my overall being, but I don't know how or whom to talk for the right information? How many times? A lot of times, a lot of times, well, a lot of times in the past, more or less in the present, I have to say, guys, we are fortunate to live in an era rich with technology, with internet. We are surrounded by people who have the right resources, and we can see these people on YouTube. You know also Instagram. It's not that I really like Instagram, but yeah, you know, if you train the algorithm in a good way, you can see good things as well. And we can even get help from AI. And while I don't rely entirely on AI, I find useful, especially when I use Grammarly to assist me with my writing for my podcast. You know, ai has become an important part of my life, helping me share my message more correctly to you, since it's included in Grammarly as well.

Speaker 1: 16:52

And, however, what is the point here? I can make mistakes, and when it comes to discussions about mental health conditions. It's crucial not to rely solely on a learning machine. Trust me, you don't want to depend solely on AI in these situations, okay. However, it can serve as a good starting point to search the right people for you, okay. So the point is, we have these tools. We have so many good tools available to us right now, so let's use them. And number five get help for your mental health. This kind of connect to number four, I mean with the right resources. Support, education. You know it is more than possible in this era.

Speaker 1: 17:37

Now let's talk about the strategies and the practices that can help heal the mind, such as therapy, mindfulness and nutrition. First one, therapy. We talk already about it, right, and of course, I'm not an expert, and especially when we talk about therapy, we always have to be careful. So I'm gonna be short. In this case, the importance of choosing the right support and or finding the right doctor must be something on the top for sure. And if you're not sure about who can guide you, a good starting point can be AI. You know Google, internet in general, and, however, it's important to remember that these sources can make mistakes, so we shouldn't rely on them entirely, but at the same time. As I said, they can be a good starting point, all right to look for the right people.

Speaker 1: 18:40

And second, we have mindfulness meditation, mindfulness meditation. So mindfulness meditation involves paying attention to the present moment, without judgment okay, using techniques like breathing exercise and guided image to reduce stress. And what are the benefits? The benefits are that meditation can help relieve various issues such as stress, anxiety, pain, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, and it can also improve your focus, sleep quality, diabetes control. So engage in mindfulness daily for five minutes. Even only focus on your breath. You can use apps like Fitbit or videos to help guide you to relax and embrace the present. So only you know to be focused on your breath for five minutes. It is gonna be like very powerful for you.

Speaker 1: 19:37

About the nutrition this is very nice. When I studied the episode and you know a few articles mentioned the nutrition I was like, yeah, makes sense. So there is a two-way connection between nutrition and mental well-being. So our diet impacts our mental health, while our mental health influences our eating habits and food quality. So let's make an example If, for example, you eat a pizza and then finish your partner's leftovers and then that's mostly my case Well, now I try to not do so much, but it was often my case because, first, I like to eat and, second, my family taught me to not throw away anything and evidently I took them uh too much seriously.

Speaker 1: 20:39

Uh, anyway, I will say um, you know, you eat your pizza, you eat, you finish your partner's leftover and then you are going to eat also an ice cream because, yeah, why not all while complaining about gaining weight. This behavior, of course, can affect you in a negative way. On the other hand, if you're very thin and believe you have gained weight, when the reality is that you actually have a serious problem to eat, so your body might reject everything you consume because it thinks so. The body, uh thinks, yeah, like, okay, body and body and things it's not really a proper grammar, uh, structure or logical even, but let's say in this way so your body thinks you don't need extra calories, even when you actually do need a proper nutrition. All right.

Speaker 1: 21:40

So it is crucial to eat a healthy and balanced diet, guys. That that's, that's the core of this part, and the mediterranean diet is one of the best options as well. So my diet, and this diet, emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and healthy fats like olive oil, nuts and seeds, so it's very powerful. A study was conducted involving participants guys with significant depressive disorder, right and the group dealing with this study has been provided with nutritional consulting and assistance with meal planning. To stick to the Mediterranean diet, and the results indicated that this group experienced significant improvements in their depressive symptoms. So it is something also proved scientifically and I find very, very fascinating.

Speaker 1: 22:43

While the Mediterranean diet is beneficial, we have other causes, of course, like Japanese food. You know sushi ramen. You know sushi ramen, and today we ordered a pokeball, so a one hour or some organized summer pokeball. It can also be enjoyable and useful for your mental being. In their cuisine there is the omega-3 everywhere you know, so it's very good. It is an essential fat that our body can't produce and they play a crucial role in mental function, mood stability and memory retention.

Speaker 1: 23:26

But let's say that you find yourself busy and unsure of what to eat or how to cook. You can also consider ordering from meal kit services like HelloFresh. I know that maybe it sounds an advice, maybe too much out from the box, but I tried HelloFresh for like maybe seven or eight months or something and I tell you it has been always packaged in the most nutritious way. I mean, we live in an era where many options are available to help you eat well, and in my opinion, you should use it. Of course, these are my top three, yeah, and I'm sure that you can find something else for your diet. But what is the main message here? The main message is that to succeed in life, so to reach your dreams, you must prioritize both mental and physical health, guys, because they are deeply interconnected and influence each other more than we realize.

Speaker 1: 24:30

I want to hear from you what insight from today's episode resonated with you the most, guys. How will you start taking care of your mental and physical health as part of your journey? Let me know in the comments. And if this episode brought you value, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Okay, I love it when you subscribe, you know that, but I love it more if you share. Of course, if you do both, I mean it would be great, but share it, share it, share it, share it. That's very, very important for me. Anyway, your support not only helps me, it could make a real difference in someone else's life For real. Remember your mind and body are on the same team, guys. Care of both keep showing up and trust the process. Thanks for being part of the journey to success and see you in the next episode. Cheers.