The Good News About Managing Stress
Human beings are resilient creatures. No matter what our current circumstances are, we can access unbelievable power in our lives. Functional medicine encourages new mental growth and deep healing. We have neuroplastic abilities that we can practice at any age. This is easier for young people, but anyone can literally change their minds. They can gain healthy thought habits and heal old, harmful ones.
What is Neuroplasticity?
Neuroplasticity allows the brain to learn new functional patterns at various stages of life. This includes building synaptic pathways. It enables the transfer of brain functions to other parts of the brain following an injury. It regulates the release of hormones that prepare the body to handle stress. This elastic nature of the brain adapts during growth stages and the shifting need to learn new things.
This neuroplasticity works in a couple of different ways. The brain that is exposed to negative conditioning learns that stressful conditions are the normal standard for living. This leads to many stress-induced illnesses that our medical tradition treats at the symptomatic level. For the brain that experiences positive conditioning, the synaptic pathways wire themselves in essential ways. These reflect a positive life view that offers greater energy to handle day-to-day living.
The human body and brain are magnificent organisms. It is possible to rewire them for better living on physical and mental levels. Stress-based illnesses are a chronic issue today, but natural healing is possible for many of these chronic issues.
How Does Neuroplasticity Work?
Functional medicine helps us find the connections between mind and body and transform them into healing. Healthy thought habits send messages to the rest of the body that life is good. This reduces the physical symptoms of stress and builds good health. In return, physical health invigorates brain function. A positive new cycle becomes an established lifestyle for the individual. Our brain elasticity makes all this possible!
Awakening Our Mind-Body Connections
Sometimes we forget that the balance we practice in our lifestyle directly affects our physical condition. Our work/life priorities get so caught up in deadlines that we forget how to live. Our brains reflect this back to us as trouble and misery. We can break out of this negative pattern and develop new positive patterns that support a more meaningful life. Balance in work/life choices leads to natural healing. Overworked hormones can rest. The joyful centers of the brain finally get to kick into high gear. Nobody has to run a marathon to achieve this, but you might start feeling like you could!
You hold the ability to rewire your brain for healthy, positive thought patterns. You can access your body's natural methods for clearing the mind, energizing the body, reducing chronic illness, and living a happier life. Every system in your body can experience renewed energy and better function. Start small. Build big!
