Mind-Body Loop of Resilience

When I was 32 I was faced with two life events that would alter the course of my mental & emotional wellness and present consistent challenges that I felt were literally “fight or flight” moments. Over a 6-month span, my partner's mom passed away with me in the room and my partner herself was hospitalized in ICU due to complications from an outpatient nasal surgery. 

Not only did both events raise fear of my own mortality, but ignited patterns of increased anxiousness, heightened muscle tension amplifying physical stress, which all felt uncontrollable. As a former athlete, I’d relied on my physical fitness to help relieve stress but more hours in the days were spent traveling in a car, sitting in the hospital or laying in bed instead of movement or exercise. Anytime I became stressed about something my body perceived a threat and would go into a “fight or flight” response, hindering me from doing sometimes simple life activities. 

What I didn’t realize throughout this time was the interconnectivity between my mind and body. My mental response to these stressful life events, led to poor movement patterns, which in-turn increased due to my mental health. I was essentially living in the Mind-Body Loop without the tools to understand how to be resilient.

• Did You Know? Our movement patterns can mirror our mental habits because the brain and body are interconnected. And this connection can work both ways; poor movement patterns can reflect and reinforce negative mindset, increasing stress hormones and inflammation in the body while mental health issues can lead to increased sedentary behaviours and a decline in confidence and motivation for physical engagement. 

It was only in stepping away from work for short-term leave that I found some relief. Through participating in therapy, I learned techniques on how to shift negative thoughts, practice breathing patterns, and build self-empathy through community. This became the foundation for helping me understand how I was feeling, and build resilience to manage through the stress cycle. 

Throughout the years there have been times when I’ve been too busy to continue practicing those learned techniques, which enabled those old negative thought patterns to reclaim mental real-estate and in-turn decrease impact my physical health. By continuing to explore mindfulness practices like meditation, body scanning, and affirmations amongst others, I have been able to develop habits that now allow me to recover from stress, reset (more quickly) back to my ideal state of being, and move forward with grace on my wellness journey.

What is the Mind-Body Loop of Resilience? 

The Mind-Body Resilience loop is a continuous feedback system where our thoughts, emotions, and perceptions directly influence our physical state, and in turn, our body's physical responses shape our mental and emotional health. This interconnected cycle can either reinforce distress or, with intentional practice, build greater resilience to stress and adversity.

Getting Scientific: How the Mind-Body Loop works

1. The cycle begins with a stressful event or challenge, which can be mental (like a negative thought) or physical (like intense exercise).

2. The brain's amygdala, which processes emotion, sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus. This triggers the "fight-or-flight" response via the sympathetic nervous system. The body releases hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and alertness.

3. How we perceive and interpret this bodily response influences the subsequent loop. If we view the stressor as a threat we cannot handle, our thoughts can amplify the physical distress, keeping our bodies in a state of high alert. If we perceive it as a manageable challenge, our mindset can promote adaptive responses.

4. For resilience to occur, the body must complete the stress response cycle by returning to a calm state. The parasympathetic nervous system, or "rest and digest" mode, acts as a brake on the stress response, but it requires intentional action.

5. When we successfully navigate a challenge and return to a state of calm, the brain's neuroplasticity is activated. Our neural pathways are rewired to better handle similar situations in the future. This creates a "mental muscle memory" that makes future recovery quicker and more efficient. 

Intentional strategies to help reinforce a positive Mind-Body loop:

• Embracing small wins: Successfully navigating minor challenges, like a tough workout or an uncomfortable phone call, creates a positive feedback loop. The brain releases dopamine, reinforcing the belief that you can handle difficult situations and motivating you to seek the next challenge.

• Consciously completing the stress cycle: Many people feel stressed but don't take action to calm their bodies. Activities like physical movement, deep breathing, or intentionally resting help the nervous system recognize that the threat has passed, allowing the body to recover fully.

• Mindful awareness: Techniques like body scans, meditation, or yoga build a stronger connection between mind and body. This allows you to recognize how stress manifests physically and helps you manage it before it becomes overwhelming.

• Cognitive reframing: Use mindful practices that teach you to identify and challenge negative or distorted thought patterns. By consciously changing your interpretation of stressful events from "harmful" to "challenging," you change your brain's biological response.

• Reflecting on progress: Taking time to reflect on what you've accomplished and the resources you used to get through a tough period solidifies learning and strengthens your sense of self-efficacy. 

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At LumiVibes, our philosophy centers on the healing connection between physical well-being and mental clarity to enable you to perform at your best on a day-to-day basis. With this philosophy in mind, our mission is to help nurture your wellness journey through education, exposure and access to natural, restorative therapies that support the balance of mind & body well-being. We focus on mindset, energy, recovery and lifestyle design to integrate healthy mind-body habits with your personal and professional goals to achieve harmony across family, work, ambitions, and health.

Please reach out if you’re interested in working with us! We would love to hear from you and support you on your mind-body wellness journey.  

Image used in this article was created by alexeyzhilkin on Freepik